


Marriage Act of 1998

by Maisey2k10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Family, Humour, Post-War, Romance, marriage law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 272,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25018987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maisey2k10/pseuds/Maisey2k10
Summary: With the War finally won and a rapid decline in the wizarding population, drastic measures are taken in a bid to save Wizarding Britain with the introduction of a new Marriage Law. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. She must learn to deal with her past and look forward to her future with rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood. Rated for language, violence and sexual content. HGxOW pairing! Marriage Law! Ron, Ginny, Viktor Krum bashing. Harry bashing (he redeems himself).
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Oliver Wood
Comments: 43
Kudos: 249





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events and characters are my own. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic. Characters are likely to be OOC. Rated for sexual situations, bad language and violence. This particular fic does have a little Ron, Ginny and Viktor Krum bashing. Harry bashing (he redeems himself).
> 
> I am aware that some events may have happened differently in canon to how I write them, but I intended for them to be so. Fanfiction allows for the moulding and changing of characters and events, and I do so love to change things to my liking.
> 
> This is complete with 33 chapters, but is undergoing editing and re-writing. I will post/update when I've finished editing the chapters. 
> 
> Page count: 15

It was the day after the Final Battle. They'd won and Voldemort had been defeated for good. Many lives had been lost that day and there had been even more wounded. Tonks and Remus had died and left behind their adorable baby boy, Teddy. They'd lost Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, Professor Snape and Padma Patil, as well as many others. But the opposing side had come off worse with over one hundred Death Eaters dead, almost one hundred captured and ready to face their judgement at trial, and over eighty were on the run.

There were casualties that had minor injuries such as Hermione with a few deep cuts and bruises, there were casualties with broken bones and head wounds, and then there were casualties like Fred Weasley, barely alive and holding on.

When Hermione had entered the great hall after the Final Battle had been won, it was to see The Weasleys gathered around a lifeless Fred Weasley, who lay on the stone floor, his body still, his skin pale and no sign of the mischievous smile she was used to seeing. Hermione rushed forward to the gathered Weasleys, making her way through the crowd of injured and grievers and coming to a stop not far from Fred's body, her eyes wide and her mouth parted in horror as she stared at him.

She and the twins had never really seen eye to eye, but they'd grown up together, not only in school, but when she'd visited The Burrow over the years. They may have argued and fought and wound each other up, but no matter what, she'd always seen them as annoying, older brothers.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes and her throat hurt as she did her best to hold back a sob, and when her eyes opened, a tear fell from the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek. After closing her eyes for a moment to ground herself, they fluttered open to a sight that had her heartbeat speeding up and hope flooding her. There was the faintest of twitches in the side of Fred's neck.

Without thought, her feet closed the distance between her and Fred's body and she fell to her knees beside him, leaning over him until her ear was hovering over his mouth and her eyes closed when she felt the a scarcely there puff of breath against her face. He was breathing.

"Granger! He's dead! Leave him!" George yelled, his voice cracking in his grief and devastation at losing his twin. He picked her up, his arms wrapping around her stomach and he hauled her off her feet, pulling her away from his twin's body with tears, grief and anger covering his face.

"George, get off me!" She protested, wriggling against his hold and trying to break free from his tight grip.

She elbowed him in the stomach and in pain and surprise, his hold on her loosened and she broke free, landing on her feet and rushing back over to Fred's side, once more falling onto her knees beside him. She wrapped her hand around his forearm and pressed to fingers against his wrist in search of a pulse, but she couldn't find one, so she turned her attention to his neck, shuffling closer to him so she could better reach his pulse point.

"He's dead!" George snapped, but she ignored him.

She placed her hand against Fred's neck and searched for a pulse. She found one, it was almost nonexistent, but it was a pulse nevertheless.

"Madam Pomphrey!" Hermione yelled, the sound echoing in the great hall.

Madam Pomphrey was on the opposite side of the hall and she looked up from healing Dean Thomas' broken arm, her eyes searching for the owner of the voice until they landed on Hermione.

"He's alive!" She called.

The moment those words left her mouth, Madam Pomphrey rushed over with a few healers from St. Mungo's trailing behind her. Hermione moved out of the way to give them more space and they began running Diagnostic Spells over Fred's body. The sobs and cries of The Weasleys had quieted as they all stared at Fred, their eyes not leaving his face and they huddled together in the need for comfort and support, waiting to hear the healers' verdict.

"She's right, he's barely holding on but he's alive," a male healer said to his colleague. "We have to get him to St. Mungo's," he muttered, as a stretcher was conjured and without time to waste, Fred was levitated onto it before he was rushed out of the great hall and he was no longer within their line of sight.

The Weasley horde turned their eyes to her, staring at her in.. Shock? Awe? Relief? Too many emotions to name, before they rushed out of the great hall as a group and followed Fred to St. Mungo's, leaving Hermione surrounded by others, but alone.

Later that night Hermione went into Muggle London and did something she was convinced she never would do.

_Present time..._

**Sunday 3rd May, 1998**

It was fairly late in the evening when Hermione walked into Fred's hospital room, seeing the only person present being George who was sat in a chair beside his twin's bed, with his head buried in his hands.

Hermione knew Fred had already been visited by his family earlier that day, but they had to leave him in the capable hands of the healer so they could aid in patching up the damage done to the Wizarding World. The quicker it was done, the better it would be for everyone. Having the memories of what had happened was one thing, but seeing the evidence of it every day was another thing entirely.

Aurors were out tracking and capturing rogue Death Eaters every hour possible and professors, students and civilians were aiding in the repair of Hogwarts to get it ready for September. Business owners and civilians were repairing Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade as quickly as they could, and Ministry employees were building the Ministry back up, under the watchful eye of the newly appointed Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt. And when they weren't doing that everyone was with their families and loved ones, no longer taking the time they had with each other for granted.

But unlike everyone else, Hermione didn't have family. She hadn't told anyone but she'd obliviated her parents the Christmas of her sixth year, removing their memories of her to protect them in the war; no matter how much it hurt her to do it, she did and she lived with that decision everyday knowing that they were safe. Or at least she used to.

That's why she was visiting Fred. She didn't have family that needed her. But The Weasleys did. George needed her; he just didn't know it yet.

She walked over to the chair on the other side of the hospital bed and sat herself down, doing her best to get comfortable. Realising he wasn't alone, George lifted his head from his hands and looked up to her with tired eyes.

"Granger?" He questioned quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"Brought you some dinner," she replied, holding out the paper bag from him to take. "I didn't make it. It's from your mum, so you won't be getting food poisoning," she said softly, making an attempt at a joke.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered, putting his head back in his hands.

"Alright, I'm done being nice. You either eat it or I shove it down your throat," she said seriously. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'd do it, do you not remember the mornings of Quidditch matches when I would force feed Harry?" She said, still holding the bag out towards him.

He sighed and reached out, taking the bag from her. He opened it up and retrieved the turkey and stuffing sandwich from inside, and after he'd taken a bite of the sandwich, Hermione sat back in her chair. She closed her eyes tiredly and tilted her head back and that's when he noticed she looked exhausted, worse than anyone he'd ever seen. She had dry tear marks on her face and her eyes still had a red tint and a slight puffiness to them.

"You've brought me my food, you can go now," he said.

She shook her head slightly with her eyes still closed. "No, I'm needed here."

"I don't need you," he mumbled gruffly.

"Maybe not, but I'm not leaving you alone. You need someone here with you to stop you from going off on your broom handle. We can't have you terrorising the healers," she said softly.

She peaked opened one eye to the sight of his mouth twitch slightly, trying to stop himself from smiling at what she said, as they both knew it was true.

"You've been crying," he commented, catching her off guard at the change of topic.

"No, I haven't," she denied.

"Yeah, you have,"

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, I have. Harry and Ron..."

"Look no offence, Granger, but my brother's in a coma. I don't really care about your tiffs with 'The-Boy-Who-Conquered' and Ronnikins."

"I'd actually have to see them in order for us to have an argument," she muttered, a sad tone to her voice and he picked up on it, noting the way betrayal flickered through her eyes when she looked to him, but it was gone soon after.

"So why have you been crying?" He asked, taking another bite from his sandwich.

"I thought you didn't care,"

"I don't really, but you're here. May as well make conversation."

She shrugged her shoulders and leaned forward in her chair, wincing slightly when her jeans rubbed against her right hip and then she sat back, once she' pulled a piece of folded up parchment from her back jean pocket.

She leaned over and handed it to him. He looked at her curiously and then put his sandwich back in the bag and he opened the parchment, his eyes sweeping the words carefully.

_Hermione,_

_I want you to know that I couldn't have done this without you. I'm lucky to have had you in my life. Anyone else would've left me after being attacked by a three headed dog. Even Ron left us for a couple of months, but not you. You stayed. You stayed by my side for seven years, and that's why it's going to be so hard to leave._

_Ron, Ginny and I, we're leaving the country. Maybe do some travelling. The war's over and we don't want to have to deal with the aftermath. I don't know how long we'll be gone. Maybe a year, maybe two, maybe forever._

_I'm sorry for not being able to tell you this face to face, but I'm a coward._

_Hermione, you can do this without us. You're a survivor. You're a true Gryffindor._

_Love Harry, Ron and Ginny_

He looked up at her in surprise, no wonder she looked like hell. She'd just gone through a war which she'd been fighting for the better part of seven years and her best friends left her to deal with the aftermath and public. Hell, his little brother and sister had abandoned their family, but he knew it would affect Hermione more than it would them.

"I found that this morning, Ginny left it on my bedside table. I checked to see if it were true. Ginny's clothes are gone from the wardrobe and Ron's and Harry's things are gone from their room. Even their brooms are missing," she said sadly. "After that I dressed and left The Burrow. I haven't been back and I don't know if the rest of your family knows yet. They left them a letter, too, on the kitchen table. They didn't even have the guts to tell me to my face."

"They left," he muttered, stunned.

She nodded. "They left everyone behind, injured and not," she replied, her eyes moving to Fred, and at that point a healer walked in.

"I'm sorry to stay that visiting hours are over and you must leave the building," the young looking blonde said, not even bothering to lift her eyes from whatever was in her hand and look at them.

"We're not going anywhere," Hermione replied with her eyes closed and head tilted back against the back of the chair.

"Visiting hours are over, if I have to call for security I will.

"You do that, but they won't do anything to me," Hermione sighed, lifting her head to look at the healer with hardened look in her eyes. "I helped take down Voldemort." The healer flinched at the mention of His name. "My name's Hermione Granger, I'm sure you've heard of me. Now, please leave us alone and we won't be going anywhere until Fred's discharged."

The healer paled and fear flickered across her face, having definitely heard of her, before she backed out of the room and shut the door behind her without a second glance.

George stared at her in something akin to awe. _'Wow, scary,'_ he thought.

"So what's the prognosis?" She inquired in a more pleasant tone.

Knowing she'd been through a lot, he reluctantly allowed her to change the subject and didn't comment on it, knowing that she was putting on a brave face and hiding her problems. He picked up his sandwich and began eating the rest of it.

"He's in a coma. He's gotten crushed bones from the wall falling on him and the healer's say it'll take a few days to heal. He had some organ damage but with a few potions that's no longer an issue. He should be fine; we just have to wait for him to wake up."

"That's good to know," she said sincerely, and she leaned further back into the chair and slumped down.

They sat in silence for a while, being too stuck in their own minds to find the ability to converse.

George would never admit it, but he was glad he wasn't alone. Hermione had saved his brother's life and having her in the room with him brought him some comfort. Hell, she had even scared the staff into letting him stay with Fred for the remainder of his time in hospital. He found it odd since they had never really spoken except for a few arguments about his and Fred's pranking ways.

"You should get some sleep," Hermione said out of nowhere. "You should go home and see the rest of your family. I'll stay here with him so he won't be alone."

"I'm not leaving him," he replied.

"Very well," she said sighing. "Stand up," she instructed and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Just stand up, George," she rolled her eyes.

He reluctantly stood from his chair and she removed her wand from the inside of her jacket sleeve and pointed it at the chair he was previously occupying. She transfigured it into a single bed. She then pulled out her trusty beaded bag and opened it, muttering, " _Accio_ blanket," until a soft blue one was summoned from her bag. He looked at her surprised, his eyes darting between the blanket in her hand and the small bag.

"Don't ask," she muttered, as she threw the blanket at him. He looked at her strangely before lying down on the bed, draping the blanket over his legs and looking up at the ceiling.

"Just go to sleep, George," she sighed, and he shuffled to get more comfortable.

Hermione waited for his breathing to even out before turning her attention to Fred. He had a slight pink tint to his skin and she frowned, leaning over and placing the back of her hand against his forehead to gauge his temperature, feeling that he was a little warmer than usual. She conjured a bowl, filled it water and with a damp cloth she wiped down his face before resting the cloth against his forehead. She could've easily used a Cooling Charm, but she preferred to do it herself, allowing her a distraction and giving her something to do.

She would do this periodically throughout the night until George woke up the next morning, after the healer had done his morning Diagnostic Spells on Fred and administered his treatment.

"You're still here," he said groggily, pushing himself into a sitting position, stretching his arms above his head and yawning.

"I did say to you that I wouldn't leave him," she shrugged her shoulders. "Do you want to go home and get changed?"

"No, I'm not leaving him."

"Well, your mum should be here soon, so if you don't mind, I better head off. There's a few things that need my attention. I'll be back later this evening; I'll bring you some clean clothes and dinner."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she stood from her chair and stretched her arms out in front of her, before she rolled her neck and shoulders, trying to ease the aches of being sat in an uncomfortable chair all night.

"Don't you have family that you want to see?" He asked her. A brief flicker of pain entered her eyes before it disappeared, but he'd noticed it.

"Not right now, your family needs me more. The healer's been in this morning and he gave Fred his treatment and a dose of Pain Relief Potion as a precaution," she informed him. "I'll see you later," she said as a goodbye, leaving out the room.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow – Monday 4th May, 1998**

Hermione floo'd into the living room of The Burrow to see it empty, everyone having already left to do their tasks in helping rebuild the Wizarding World. Hermione headed up stairs into her and Ginny's room... _Her_ room and she climbed into bed not bothering to change out of her clothes, being too exhausted.

She woke up four hours later, sweating and with tears flowing from her eyes and down her face. She'd the nightmare again. She dreamt of her parent's torture and death. But then it changed. She was back at Malfoy Manor being tortured by Bellatrix. Bellatrix being the thing that haunted her dreams was a recent thing, since the night of their capture. She was glad Mrs. Weasley had killed her; the world was better off without her in it.

She climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom, and once she'd showered and dressed in white converse, black skinny jeans and a grey hooded jumper, she tied her hair up in a messy bun before heading down to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley had left a plate of breakfast food on the table for her with all the appropriate charms on.

Mrs. Weasley had noticed that Hermione had lost a lot of weight after being on the run and she'd made it her mission to fatten her up. Hermione quickly ate her breakfast and noticed that the letter Harry, Ron and Ginny had left had been opened, meaning that everyone knew and Mrs. Weasley likely wouldn't be taking it well.

When she was done eating, she sent the dishes to the sink to wash themselves and she walked into the living room to use the floo.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Hermione stepped out of the floo and into Fred and George's flat above their shop. The place had been ransacked, but it wouldn't take long to set things straight.

She removed her wand from her sleeve and began banishing rubbish, repairing furniture, putting things back in their places and repainting the walls. She then moved onto the kitchen, fixing the smashed plates, broken cupboards and smashed up sink and she repaired the wooden kitchen table. She cleaned the counter tops and the floor and put the plates and cutlery back in the correct drawers and cupboards.

She then walked over to a door to the left of the living room, and opened it, revealing it to be one of the bedrooms, whose she wasn't sure. With the aid of magic she put everything back in order; placing the clothes back in the wardrobe and chest of drawers and placing items back on top of the chest of drawers and bedside table. When she was finished she moved onto the room next to it, the bathroom. The only thing that needed doing was putting everything back in its place and cleaning the floor, mirror and shower door, removing the dust and grime.

She moved onto the room next to it and it was another bedroom. She fixed the shattered double bed, put the clothing back in the chest of drawers and wardrobe and put the items and trinkets back where they belonged. She moved onto the last room, another bedroom. She fixed the double bed, the broken chest of drawers and the broken wardrobe door. Given the lack of trinkets and clothing, she guessed it to the spare room.

When she was finished she walked back into the living room and slumped down on the couch, sighing and pushing a fallen curl back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She knew she didn't have to do anything for the twins, but she couldn't help herself. She was projecting her mothering behaviour on to them now that Harry and Ron had left; she was using it as a distraction from everything she had been through.

When she looked up, she saw the time on the clock she'd fixed and noticed it wasn't far off seven o'clock in the evening. She couldn't believe she'd gotten the flat completely repaired and cleaned within a day, in fact, she couldn't believe she'd been there that long.

She stood from the couch, summoned some of George's clothes -which came from the first bedroom she'd fixed- and then she floo'd to The Burrow. Seeing it empty and no sign of any anyone having returned yet, she quickly made George some food and then floo'd to the hospital.

~000~000~000~

**St. Mungo's**

Hermione walked into Fred's hospital room, seeing that George had taken the other chair and moved it near the bed so she conjured another chair and she sat herself down as she had the day before. She handed George his food and put his clean clothes on the transfigured bed.

"Be careful," she warned him as he removed the ham and cheese panini from the paper bag. "Your mum hadn't been back, so I made it." She noticed his mouth twitch before he shrugged and took a bite.

"We're at a hospital anyway," he replied and she chuckled at him and sighed, sitting back in her chair.

"What've you been doing all day? You're covered in dust and...Is that paint?" He questioned with a slight frown.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"You've got paint on your face," he said amused and she just shrugged, not having the energy to try and clean it away.

"I've just been doing some repairs for a local business," she said cryptically.

"I hope they know how lucky they are to have you," he replied, taking out a second panini from the bag and making a start on it.

"They needed my help, they're good people and they've worked hard to get where they are today, they deserve it. They have a lot to deal with at the moment so my helping them is one less thing for them to worry about."

They sat in silence for a while, and before Hermione suggested George get some sleep he spoke up.

"Why are you here with me and not your family, Granger?" He asked her and a look of sadness and pain filled her eyes again before it disappeared.

"I told you; they don't need me."

"You're lying,"

"No, I'm not,"

"Yeah, you are,"

"No, I'm not,"

"You're a terrible liar."

"What do you want from me, George?" She asked annoyed.

"I want you to tell me the truth."

"Fine," she snapped. "My parents don't need me because they're dead," she said, her voice cracking and tears filling her eyes.

"What?" He said dumbly, staring at her in shock as tears began to fall down her face.

"Christmas, my sixth year; I obliviated my parents and wiped their memories of me. I watched as every picture of me disappeared, I watched the dazed look cross their faces and I felt a cold wave wash over me as I was torn from their lives as if I never existed. I gave them new identities and sent them off to Australia." She pulled her feet up onto the chair and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them tight against her chest. "Just before Bill's wedding I received word from the Australian Ministry that the tracker I asked to be placed on my parents had been triggered. When they arrived they found a blood bath. My parents were tortured and slaughtered by Death Eaters." A sob tore from her and he stared at her in silence, not knowing what to say.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He finally managed to get out.

"I was ashamed of what I did. I took away their memories to protect them and they still died, they were still murdered. Everything I did was to protect them and I failed. They died because of me, because of my being Undesirable Number 2 due to my refusing to leave Harry. For years I've put up with the death attempts, the danger, the torture, the arguments and mistreatment and I still stayed," she spoke through her cries, and he watched her as she stared at a spot on the wall behind his head. "I've been into the Forbidden Forest for him, I turned myself into a cat for him..."

"Wait, you turned yourself into a cat?"

"Human-cat hybrid, I brewed Poly Juice my second year in a girl's bathroom, so we could break into the Slytherin common room," she sniffled, wiping her face with the back of her jacket sleeve.

"What?" He said stunned. _'She broke into the Slytherin common room and brewed poly juice in second year?'_ He thought in awe.

"Harry and Ron managed to get in, but I accidentally used a cat hair and I was in the hospital wing for a few weeks. I grew fur and whiskers a bloody tail for Merlin's Sake, until I was petrified for months by the basilisk. Do you know what that's like, George?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "It's like being frozen in time but everything else is still moving around. I could hear every conversation, I could still feel people touching me and I could still see people looking at me. But I couldn't move. I couldn't even blink. And Merlin I was starving!"

Now that's she'd started, she was unable to stop. For years she'd been keeping it all bottled up and it was finally being released.

"Third year I put my friendship on the line to protect Harry from a possibly jinxed broom. And I was right; it _was_ from Sirius, I was just wrong about it being jinxed. The Whomping Willow thought it would be fun to throw me around like a rag doll whilst I clung to it for dear life. I attacked a Professor, I was chased by a werewolf and I time travelled for him."

"Professor? Werewolf? Time travel?" He muttered dazed.

"I hexed Snape. Remus tried to kill us because he forgot to take his potion, but Sirius distracted him and we got away. I was given a time turner in my third year to help me get to my classes, I was taking twelve that year, and we ended up using it to go back and save Sirius from the dementors and Buckbeak from being executed. Don't even get me started on everything I did for him in fourth yea; I spent hours teaching him defence charms and I was stuck in the middle of him and Ron during their ridiculous falling out. Fifth year I planned all of the D.A. meetings for him, and I almost died in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Sixth year was a nightmare and that's not including what happened with my parents, and the year on the run... We ran out of food and I starved myself so they could eat, but of course Ronald still complained. I've lost three stone, George, and they never noticed I was giving them my portions of food. There's a reason I look the way I do now. Your mum puts food in front of me every time she sees me. Do you know Ronald left us? He abandoned us for months. Harry was attacked by Nagini and I saved his life, pushing him out of a window and I didn't have time to cast a Cushioning Charm so I used myself to break his fall. And when his wand was snapped in half, I gave him my wand. You know how funny we are about others using our wands, but I gave him mine without a second thought. And when we were captured due to Harry's stupidity, I was tortured for hours on end, both magical and muggle means. Several of the Death Eaters tried to rape me! I broke into Gringotts for him and flew on the back of a dragon, despite flying being one of my biggest fears. After everything I've done for him, for both of them... And they've left me alone to deal with the fall out. I'm going to have to deal with the press, the Ministry, the questions and the attention on my own. How could they do that to me?" She sobbed, burying her face against her knees.

Before he knew what he was doing, he stood up and walked over to her and he pulled her up from her chair. He sat himself down and pulled her into his lap and she clung to him as she sobbed and he made comforting sounds as he rubbed her back.

He couldn't believe what she'd told him. He and Fred had always thought that she was a stuck in the mud, fun sucking, goody to shoes, bookworm. But that couldn't have been any further from the truth. He realised that they'd seriously misjudged the little witch curled up and crying on his lap.

She'd broken more rules than he and Fred had combined, she'd gotten 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and his idiot little brother through seven years of school; both academically and physically. She was a major contributor -second only to Harry- to why the Wizarding World was safe again and she'd saved his brother. If it wasn't for her Fred would be dead.

He couldn't believe everything she'd gone through for the good of the Wizarding World and its occupants, and most wouldn't even know. He certainly hadn't. She'd starved herself, been hunted and tortured, and was almost raped for Merlin's Sake!

She'd long since cried herself to sleep and she was curled up in his lap and clutching his t-shirt tightly in her hand. Looking down at her, he realised that she'd need taking care of, that it was her turn to be taken care of and he vowed that he would do just that. As would Fred when he woke up and he told him everything he'd learned about Hermione Granger.

~000~000~000~

**St. Mungo's - Tuesday 5th May, 1998**

Hermione woke after dreaming about her parent's murder. She couldn't remember much, just the screams and the blood. She bolted awake and fell side wards, falling off George's lap. She squeaked in surprise and then landed on the floor with a loud' thud' that woke George, who had fallen asleep some time during the night.

He looked down at her to see her sprawled on the floor and when he saw her embarrassed riddled faced, he burst out laughing; his first laugh since the battle. She grumbled at him and sat up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"When you're quite finished," she said with a scowl and he laughed for a few a little while longer before taking deep breaths and calming himself down.

"Sorry, Granger," he said, looking anything but.

"No, I'm sorry," she sighed, rubbing her hands over her face.

"For?" He asked confused.

"For my outburst yesterday, you have other things to worry about and I shouldn't have burdened you with it," she muttered.

"How many people have you told about your parents and what you've been through?"

"Harry and Ron don't know what happened to me at Malfoy Manor and they don't know about my parents. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems and grief. You all have your own lives and there's bigger happenings in the world than my home life and mental and emotional state. You're the first person I've told," she said, looking down at the floor ashamed.

He looked at her strangely, not that she could see. He couldn't believe he was the first person she'd told about her life. He knew she was leaving out some details, but he would make it his life's mission to get her to tell him everything.

"If you tell anyone, George, I will...Well I don't know what I'll do...But I led Umbridge to a giant and she was carried off into the Forbidden Forest by a heard of centaurs because of me..." His eyes widened. "So you can imagine how creative I can be," she said, pointing her finger at him and he gulped and nodded, promising he wouldn't tell anyone.

She stood up and brushed herself down. "Good. I have to get back to helping with the wreckage of the shop. Your mum will be here soon and I should warn you, I think she knows about Harry, Ron and Ginny. I found the letter they wrote to your family open in the kitchen. I'll see you later tonight"

"You don't have to come tonight, you look exhausted."

"I told you I'm not leaving you alone, stop trying to get rid of me because it'll be harder than killing Voldemort," she said. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What? Too soon?" She asked innocently and he chuckled and shook his head at her. "There's still a change of fresh clothes on the bed for you," she said, before leaving the room.

_'Who knew she had a sense of humour?'_ He thought.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's** **Wizards Wheezes**

After Hermione had left St. Mungo's she floo'd back to The Burrow, showered and dressed in a pair of black leggings, white converse and an old denim shirt. She ate her breakfast that Mrs. Weasley had left out for her and she returned to the twin's joke shop, once she was finished.

She'd been there for hours working on the shop floor, banishing rubbish, repairing shelves, windows, displays, doors and the counter. When she finished she went on to repainting the walls and then she moved onto the second floor. She fixed the staircase and the banister, the balcony and the shelves, before repainting those walls, too.

When she'd done that she moved into the storage room, the potions lab and the work area, where she repeated the process. When she was in the storage room she went through the products and she thanked Merlin that the twins had been efficient and placed expiration dates on the products. The products that were damaged or spoiled, she banished and then she sorted the rest of the products into categories for easier management. Considering how brilliant the twins were, they didn't have a suitable set up in the storage room, so she rearranged everything and made it easier to find products through her system of category and then alphabetical order.

She then went back into the potions lab and the work area and sorted through the ingredients, making notes of those that needed to be replaced and restocked and then banishing the damaged ones.

When it reached eight o'clock she called it a day, summoned more clean clothing for George and then headed back to The Burrow.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

Hermione stepped out of the floo and walked into the kitchen to see Mrs. Weasley finishing up with clearing away the table.

"Hello, Dear," she greeted.

"Hey, Mrs. Weasley" Hermione smiled as she sat herself down at the table. Mrs. Weasley put a plate of food in front of her and then sent a spell at the dishes so they cleaned themselves and she sat down opposite Hermione.

"How many times a day have you been eating?"

"Two," she replied with a slight shrug, putting a spoonful of beef stew into her mouth.

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "You should be eating three times a day, young lady," she scolded and Hermione couldn't help smiling.

"I can't eat anymore than I already do as my body isn't used to it. I already feel ill after eating two meals a day. I was barely eating one meal every two days whilst we were gone. The best thing to do is gradually increase the amount of food I eat until my body can handle it without making me ill."

Mrs. Weasley reluctantly nodded and then she looked at Hermione sadly. Hermione knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry they left, Dear. I can't believe that two of my children left without any thought as to how it would affect this family," she said sadly.

Hermione put her hand over Mrs. Weasleys and squeezed it gently. "It's not your fault. They're the ones that left us to pick up the pieces. They're the ones that have left me to deal with the aftermath alone. I can't believe Harry did that to me. Seven years and I've never once left, but as soon as it's over, he turns tail and runs, leaving me to deal with everything. They're going to be on my case now; they're never going to leave me alone. But none of that is your fault. You're a brilliant mother and you brought your children up wonderfully," Hermione praised. Mrs. Weasley's eyes watered and she nodded with a small smile. "I'm going to head to the hospital; I'll take George's dinner with me."

"He said that you've been staying the night the last couple of days, so that he could get some sleep. He also said you threatened to force feed him," she said, her voice less sad and happier, with a hint of pride and amusement to her tone.

"Yes. They need me, so I'll be there," she said simply and Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving my son's life and for taking care of my boys. But that's what you've always done, isn't it? Taken care of my family," she said smiling brightly.

"Well it's hard not to, you have a wonderful family." Hermione chuckled when Mrs. Weasley flushed and she beamed at her.

"You're covered in paint," Mrs. Weasley said. "What have you been doing all day?"

"Fixing up the shop," she replied.

Before Mrs. Weasley could ask her 'what shop?' Hermione took George's dinner, left the kitchen and floo'd to the hospital.

~000~000~000~

**St. Mungo's**

"Beef stew," she said, handing him his dinner, putting the clean clothes on the bed and sitting down in what had recently become 'her' chair. She was glad to see he had changed clothes.

"What've you done today? You're covered in pain again," he said chuckling, removing the spoon and the container of stew from the bag.

"I've been at the shop,"

"Well, whoever they are, they have great taste," he commented, pointing to the splashes of orange and purple paint on her face and clothes. She hoped he wouldn't catch on.

After George finished eating, they talked for a while before he got into bed under Hermione's glare and he fell asleep. Hermione tended to Fred, adjusting the blanket and placing a cool damp cloth against his head, making sure he would be kept comfortable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 14

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Wednesday 6th May 1998**

Hermione left the hospital the next morning and headed to The Burrow where she had a few hours sleep before being woken up by the nightmares that plagued her. She showered and dressed and ate the breakfast that Mrs. Weasley left for her in the kitchen, before heading to the twins’ shop.

Now that she’d fixed up the twins’ shop and apartment, there were only two things left to do; repair the outside of the building and try and restock the shelves for the twins, in order for the shop to be truly ready for a reopening, and that meant she had to make the products herself.

She set to work in the potions lab and the work area, where she found a book of recipes and instructions hidden behind a loose brick in the wall, and don't ask her how she knew it was there, but she did.

She started out with making products for the Wonder Witch line as they had a long expiration date and were fairly easy to make. She made three batches of two hundred of each Wonder Witch product and whilst they were simmering she moved onto making Canary Creams and Ton-Tongue Toffee and she made a batch of a thousand. When they cooled she found the correct packaging boxes and placed the correct amount in each box, before banishing them to the storage room to the candy and sweets section. She put the Wonder Witch products in vials when they’d cooled and she labelled them clearly and sent them off to the storage room, too.

She called it a day, summoned more clean clothing for George and then floo’d back to The Burrow, where she talked with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, ate dinner and then went to the hospital for the night.

~000~000~000~

**St Mungos – Sunday 17th May, 1998**

Two weeks had passed since the Final Battle and Fred being admitted into hospital. The Wizarding World was well on its way to being repaired, but not healed; the scars of the war would forever be a reminder of what happened.

Hermione had a routine. She would stay awake all night at the hospital attending to Fred whilst George slept and in the morning she would leave and go to The Burrow, where she would be woken by nightmares after a few hours sleep. She would shower, dress, eat breakfast and then head to the twins’ shop where she would continue to restock the storage room. In the evening she would return to The Burrow, eat dinner, talk with whoever was there and then head to the hospital with George's dinner and clean clothing before repeating the process the next day.

A few days after Hermione had started on the twins’ shop, she sent off the order for the potion ingredient and they’d arrived the next day. She was surprised since the war had only ended a few days before, but then again, she was the most famous Muggleborn in the world, now. They’d even sent her double the amount she’d requested at no extra charge.

Equipped with everything she needed, she set to work on making the rest of the products. By the end of the two weeks she’d restocked the storage room with the most popular products according to the twins’ records and she made a fair amount of the other products and at some point she’d fixed up the outside of the shop and restocked the food cupboards in the flat.

Now she was at St. Mungo’s sat by Fred's bed. It was just her that night. After bringing George his dinner and clean clothes, they’d chatted and then argued for over an hour, after which Hermione won, and for the first time in two weeks, George left the hospital and went home to The Burrow for the night and he would return in the morning.

George had reluctantly left the hospital knowing that he could trust Hermione with his brother. Over the past two weeks they’d gotten to know each other rather well, she’d even had him in hysterics a few times from her wit and sense of humour. He knew more about Hermione than he did his own sister, who abandoned his family. But Hermione didn't, she stayed. She stayed with him every night and took care of him at a level Molly Weasley would be proud of. In return Hermione had learned more about George and through him she learned more about Fred, and he’d had her laughing to the point of tears on a few occasions which pleased him.

It was early in the morning, somewhere around three o’clock, when Hermione leaned forward and checked Fred's temperature like she did every night and then she conjured a bowl of water and a cloth, pressing the cold, damp cloth against his forehead and then she sat back down in her chair. She draped her legs over the side of the arm rest and used the blanket from the other bed. She pulled it over herself and tucked the excess blanket behind her back, which rested against the other arm rest of the chair and she rested her head against the back rest and closed her eyes.

Fred felt a warm and soft hand rest against his forehead, before it was removed and replaced by something cold and damp. He heard some shuffling and when it quieted, his eyes slowly fluttered open. His eyesight was blurry but after a few blinks he regained his perfect vision. He was glad to see there was no sunlight in the room; that would just give him a headache.

He lifted his arm and touched his hand to his forehead, feeling a cloth pressed against him. He slowly lifted himself into a sitting position and the cloth fell onto the bed beside him. He looked around the room to see the most unexpected sight that met him. Hermione Granger sat by his bedside and she appeared to be asleep.

For a few moments he watched her stunned in silence, before he finally spoke.

"Granger?" He said, still groggy from sleep and his voice came out rasped from weeks without use.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and when hers locked on Fred's turquoise gaze, she blinked slowly and then jumped, sitting up quickly.

"Fred, you're awake" she said, both relieved and surprised.

He rolled his eyes at her. He spoke but it came out hoarse and he frowned. Hermione took a glass from the tray on the table beside his bed and she used her wand to fill it with water. She handed it to him and he took it gratefully.

"Thanks," he said after downing half the glass. "How long have you been here? How long have I been here?" He asked her curiously.

"Every night for two weeks," she replied softly and he raised an eyebrow at her. "George needed me here, he's been through a lot."

"Why aren't you with Harry and Ron?" He asked and he noticed the look of pain and betrayal that flashed in her eyes for a small moment.

"I'll leave George to explain that to you. It's better that it comes from him."

"Where is George?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot." She pulled her wand. " _Expecto Patronum,_ " she muttered and blue-silver majestic lion emerged from the tip of her wand and stood in front of her, waiting for her orders. She looked at it stunned, before clearing her throat. "George, Fred's awake," said and the lion was sent off to deliver the message as she sat back in her chair, slightly dazed.

"Why so shocked, Granger? Although a lion does suit you," Fred said amused.

"My patronus is an otter," she whispered.

"Well that was one funny looking otter," he commented.

"It's changed to a lion."

"Alright, that's not normal," he said with a frown.

"You're right, it's not, but a patronus can change depending on someone's emotional state or when something significant has occurred in their life."

"I would say a war is rather significant," Fred chuckled. "So where is George?" He asked her again and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"I sent him back to The Burrow. He hasn't left your side in two weeks. We had an argument last night that lasted for over an hour and I won," she replied, sounding pleased with herself. “As a result he had to leave to get some actual sleep and so he could have a proper shower.”

"FRED!" She heard George shout from the doorway. He rushed forward and hugged Fred tightly and he chuckled at his twin.

"George, you're cutting off his air supply," Hermione scolded lightly, smiling when he pulled back looking sheepish, and she stood from her chair. "I'll leave you two to yourselves. I'll be at The Burrow if you need anything. Now that you're awake and all your injuries are healed, you should be allowed home soon."

She walked past George and ruffled his hair until it light a right mess, which he chuckled at –she did it every time she left him at the hospital– and Fred looked at his brother with clear confusion at the interaction between them.

"Alright, explain," he ordered.

"How are you doing?" George inquired, ignoring his brother's words.

"Brilliant, no aches or pain and I’m well rested. You’d never be able to tell I almost died by way of a wall crushing. Now, tell me what's going on with you and Granger," he demanded with a frown.

George sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. "She saved your life," he stated and Fred raised an eyebrow at him. "We were in the great hall and your body was on the floor, we all thought you were dead. She came rushing in and dropped to your side and she put her ear over your face. I pulled her away from you and I was yelling at her until she elbowed me," he said, rubbing his stomach as if remembering the pain. "And I dropped her. She scrambled back over to you and lifted your arm. I don't know what she was doing. I was yelling at her, but she ignored me, pressing her fingers against your neck before screaming at Madam Pomphrey that you were alive. The healers ran a few tests and she was right, you were alive, but barely and you were rushed here," he explained.

"So she saved my life?" Fred said in disbelief and George nodded.

"If it wasn't for her you wouldn't be here talking to me right now. She's been here every night since the battle. She never left me alone and she watched over you during the night, whilst I slept. I refused to leave you so she transfigured a bed for me and gave me a blanket. I've caught her checking on you a few times and putting a cold cloth against your head to help keep your temperature down, but she doesn't know. She leaves every morning to help repair a local business, but I don't know which one. She always returns covered in paint or some sort of potion ingredient," he chuckled and Fred watched him carefully with a slightly tilted head. "She brings me clean clothes and food and she forces me to eat. She's been keeping me company."

"Something’s happened" Fred stated. "I asked her why she wasn't with Harry and Ron and wouldn’t tell me."

George's happy expression dropped from his face and he sighed. Fred knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Harry, Ron and Ginny left," he muttered and at Fred's confused look he explained further. "The night of the Final Battle, Harry, Ron and Ginny left the country." Fred’s eyes widened. "Harry told her in a note. They left her behind and they don't know when they’ll return, _if_ they will at all. He said they can't deal with the aftermath and they left Hermione to deal with it all by herself."

"Hermione? Since when do you call her Hermione?"

"We've become closer over the last couple of weeks. She knows things about me that only you know, and I know things about her that no one knows. I know more about her than I do Ginny," he said honestly. "I'm the first person she’s told certain things to, she confided in me."

"About what?"

"I can't tell you, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Even me? I'm your twin," he said, sounding hurt. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind you telling me."

"She would," George sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "But I can't lie to you, so you better not tell anyone."

"Twin's honour" he said, saluting, and George chuckled at him.

"Christmas, her sixth year, Hermione obliviated her parents." Fred's eyes widened. "She removed their memories of her, gave them new identities and sent them off to live in Australia."

"Why would she do that?" He asked shocked.

"To protect them; she’s the most famous Muggleborn in the world thanks to that Tosser who left her to deal with everything by herself," he said angrily. He’d come to think of Hermione as a sister in the last couple of weeks. "Before Bill's wedding she received word from the Australian Ministry that her parents had been tortured and murdered by Death Eaters. Then she was on the run."

"She didn't look well herself," Fred said frowning.

"She's lost a lot of weight. They ran out of food and she starved herself so that Ron and Harry could eat. They never even noticed. She hasn't told me much about what they went through, but I know that Ron abandoned them for a few months and she was tortured at Malfoy Manor and almost raped." Fred had paled. "Even after all she’s done for them, they left her. She hasn't told anyone, she said she doesn't want to be a burden, that there’s bigger things in the world than her mental and emotional state."

They sat in silence, George allowing Fred to digest everything he told him. George spoke after a while, breaking the silence.

"She's amazing," he said. Fred raised an amused eyebrow at the small smile on George's face. "She's broken more rules than us combined."

"I doubt it," Fred scoffed.

"She brewed Poly Juice in her second year in a girl's bathroom, so she could break into the Slytherin common room."

His eyes widened. "Did she?"

He nodded. "Harry and Ron managed to get in, but Hermione accidentally used a cat hair and turned herself into a human-cat hybrid," he said chuckling. "She was in the hospital wing for a few weeks. And in her fifth year, after we left, she got a giant and a heard of centaurs to attack Umbridge," he laughed.

Fred stared at him in surprise before he burst out laughing. "That's brilliant," he commented. "Why didn't we think of that?"

"Because we're not Hermione Granger," George grinned. "It would suffice to say that I never argued with her about eating or sleeping after I learned that."

"I don't blame you. Safer that way," Fred nodded in agreement.

"She's really funny, too; she had me wetting myself a few times with her wit. She joked not even two days after the Final Battle, that I couldn’t get rid of her because it would be harder than killing Voldemort."

"My kind of humour," Fred chuckled.

"And she scared away the healers when they tried to call security because we wouldn't leave you. No one has bothered us in two weeks," he said grinning and then his grin suddenly dropped.

"What is it?" Fred asked, noticing the change in his brother's mood.

"She's needs taking care of. For the past seven years she's kept The Boy Wonder and our idiot little brother alive. She's been to hell and back because of them and for them. Even you can remember the way they treated her. She's taken care of me and you these last couple of weeks and she didn't have to. Now that she doesn't have any family, she needs someone to look after her. It's her turn to be taken care of," he said with conviction in his tone.

Fred looked at him thoughtfully. "And that someone’s going to be you," he said with a knowing look.

"Yes, it is. I've only spent two weeks with her and I already see her like a little sister. We were so wrong about her, Fred. She’s the complete opposite to what we thought she was."

"So, tell me more about the Gryffindor Princess," he demanded, rubbing his hands together.

And he did. For two hours he told Fred everything he’d learned about Hermione over the last two weeks and they laughed and marvelled in her creativity and pure genius. Fred himself felt like he knew Hermione from everything George had told him, but he found himself looking forward to getting to know her for himself. They were both laughing hysterically when the healer walked in and looked to Fred in surprise.

"Mr. Weasley?” The middle-aged wizard blinked slowly. “I'm glad to see you're feeling better," the healer said as he made his way towards the bed and he began casting Diagnostic Spells. "Any pain or discomfort?" The healer asked as began writing the results down on his file.

"Nope, never felt better," Fred replied.

"Well in that case, all your results are perfectly fine and you are healthy and fully healed. You require no further treatment. Usually we like to keep the patient in a few more days after coming out of a coma for monitoring, but your results are the best I’ve ever seen, so we will discharge you and you may go home."

The twins grinned at each other and after paperwork had been filled out, Fred had been changed, they headed to The Burrow to see the family and surprise them. It was still early and they didn't expect anyone to be awake, so they would have the honour of rectifying that situation.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

They floo’d into The Burrow and their assumptions were correct. It was only seven in the morning and no one was up. The sun was now shining and it was a new day of rebuilding the Wizarding World.

They grinned at each other and bounded up the stairs, but they stopped on the third floor when they heard screaming.

They looked to each other and ran towards the noise. When they found the room, they pushed the door open and their eyes widened in horror as they looked at the sight of Hermione screaming and flailing around, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"NO...PLEASE...NO! STOP! I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GOT IT...I PROMISE...NO! WE DIDN'T! IT'S NOT REAL! NO!"

They looked at each other and without a second thought they rushed towards her.

"Hermione!" George yelled as he shook her shoulders. "It's just a dream, wake up. They can't hurt you. _She_ can't hurt you; it's over. Hermione!"

Fred watched horrified as his brother tried to calm down the hysterical little witch, but was ultimately failing.

"Hermione!" Fred yelled, and she bolted awake and she sat up so fast that George fell backwards in shock.

Hermione’s breathing was heavy and loud as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry, I knew I should've put a Silencing Charm around the room as a precaution,” she said, still wiping her tears away as they continued to fall, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

"How long?" George asked as he got up off the floor and sat down on the bed beside her and rubbed comforting circles on her back.

"How long what?" She asked.

"Don't go there, Hermione, being dense doesn't suit you."

She sighed. "Since the night I found out about my parents."

"That's almost a year," Fred said. "How much sleep do you get?"

She shrugged and leaned into George. "Three, maybe four hours if I'm lucky."

"That's not good, Hermione, you're putting your health at risk," George said frowning.

"Oh, I'm sorry, George, maybe if I ask the nightmares politely they’ll stop tormenting me," she snapped.

Fred smothered the chuckle that threatened to escape when looking at George's scolded expression. He’d never seen that look on his brother's face before.

"What are they about?" Fred asked, and he sat himself on the other side of the bed, squishing her between them.

"You told him, didn't you?" She said looking at George.

He nodded sheepishly. "You mad?"

She shook her head. "No, he's your twin. I wouldn't expect you to keep it from him." He looked relieved and then she turned to Fred. "If you tell anyone, I will make your life a living hell," she said, pointing a finger at him threateningly and he gulped and nodded.

"I promise I won't tell anyone.” He didn't want to get on her bad side, especially after everything he’d learned about her from George. "So what was your nightmare about?" He asked for the second time and changing the subject.

"Sometimes about my parents slaughter, sometimes about being tortured, sometimes both," she muttered.

"Will you tell us what happened?" George asked softly.

"No,"

"You will someday," he said smugly.

"No, I won't," she scowled.

"Yeah, ya will, I'll get it out of you sooner or later," he said grinning like an idiot and her scowl turned into a smile that she tried to hide, but failed.

"You mentioned Silencing Charms?" Fred said.

"I’m quite good at casting them, so Charlie and Percy have me put them on their rooms so their own nightmares don’t wake anyone, the same with your parents. I saw no point in putting a _Silencio_ around my own room for that fact. I didn’t want to wake them of my nightmares either. I don't want to be a burden to anyone. I'm leaving The Burrow soon anyway."

"What? Why?" George asked frowning.

"There's nothing keeping me here. My best friends’ have left me and I don't want to be a burden on your family," she muttered, looking down at her hands. "I need to go somewhere; somewhere the press won't be able to bother me. They haven't left me alone since the day after the battle."

They turned their heads when they heard a tapping on the bedroom window. There sat on the window ledge were four owls and they could see more in the distance heading their way.

"See?" She sighed in annoyance.

She climbed off the bed and opened the window and the owls flew in and dropped the letters on the mattress. She took the bowl from her bedside table that was filled with owl treats and she gave one to each owl.

When there were finally no more owls to be seen she closed the window, put the bowl back on the bedside table and sat on the bed opposite the twins. There was over sixty letters and _The Daily Prophet_ newspaper.

"Who are these all from anyway?" Fred asked, picking one up and scrutinising it.

Hermione finished sorting them into piles and she pointed to each pile as she went through them. "These are from _The Daily Prophet_ and reporters wanting interviews and an exclusive on the battle and on the disappearance of Harry and Ron. These are from the Ministry requesting my presence at an upcoming celebration ball. These are from the Ministry requesting my presence at certain departments. These are job offers. These are requests from random strangers wanting me to have dinner with them. These are offers from companies wanting me to be the new face of their company, these are death threats and these are endorsement offers," she sighed. "I can't do this," she said sadly, shaking her head. She picked up the newspaper and fell backwards onto her back and turned to the page that listed accommodation and housing, holding it above her face.

Fred and George looked to each other and nodded, and George leaned forward and took the newspaper from her hands.

"George, give it back, I need to find somewhere to live. I’m not staying here and leaching off your family and I can't go to my parents’ house," she said sadly.

"Nope," he said, popping the ‘p’.

"George," she said, sitting up and with warning in her tone and he wasn't going to admit it out loud, but she scared him. "Give it back."

"Move in with us," they said in unison.

She looked at them and then she burst out laughing. Fred and George cocked their heads to the side.

"What are you laughing at?" They asked together which only made her laugh louder and she fell backwards onto her back.

The twins watched her both amused and confused. She finally settled down and took deep breaths.

"Thanks, I needed that."

"Well, you're welcome," Fred said. "But you haven't given us an answer."

Her smile dropped. "Wait, you were serious?"

"Yes, completely," George said.

She sighed. "Look, boys, that's incredibly kind of you and I appreciate the offer, but I can't."

"Of course you can," George said, brushing off her rejection. "I mean, you'll have to wait until we fix the shop up." She looked down at that. "But we have a spare room and it's got your name on it."

"George, I can't," she said, standing up and heading out of the room.

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door in their faces. She showered and dressed in a pair of blue shorts dungarees, her converse which she charmed blue and a white long sleeved top, that covered a scar given to her by Bellatrix. She headed down to the kitchen where she found Fred and George sat at the table eating breakfast. She sat down and began eating herself.

"Does your mum know Fred's been discharged?"

"Yep, she cried, hugged us, made us breakfast and then left to Hogwarts with Charlie, and Percy. Dad went to the Ministry," Fred answered.

"So are you going to move in with us then?" George asked.

She shovelled the last of her breakfast into her mouth and then ran out of the kitchen and she floo’d to the twins’ shop before they could find out where she was going.

They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, let's get the shop up and running."

"I was thinking the same thing, brother mine," Fred said.

"After breakfast," they both said and then they walked back into the kitchen and continued eating.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Fred and George floo’d into their flat half an hour after Hermione left.

"Okay, let's make this place liveable..." Fred trailed off when he saw the flat and he looked around. It looked better then when they’d first moved in. Everything was in its rightful place, the walls had been repainted and the furniture had been repaired and it looked as good as new. "I thought you said you haven't been back here," Fred said, looking to his brother, who looked just as shocked as he did.

"I haven't, I've been at the hospital. Last night was the first time I left in two weeks," George spoke as he walked into the kitchen and he opened up all the cupboards to see they were filled and overflowing with food."Check the other rooms," George suggested and Fred nodded.

He walked towards the doors and opened each one, peaking his head inside. "They've all been repaired and repainted, too," he said and they looked at each other strangely.

They nodded to the front door and they both walked down the stairs, out behind the velvet curtain and onto the shop floor. Everything was perfect and fixed. The windows were gleaming and the floor was sparkling clean. The shelves had been repaired and products lined the shelves in perfect organisation.

They shared a look.

"You mentioned Granger was working on repairing a local business. Did she ever tell you the name?" Fred asked George with a raised eyebrow.

"No," he said thoughtfully. "But she wouldn't do this for us, would she?"

They turned their heads towards the velvet curtain when they heard what sounded like something scraping across the floor. They nodded and pulled their wands and walked slowly to the back rooms, pulling the velvet curtain out of the way. Fred opened the door to the work area and potions lab and they both walked in. They dropped their arms when they saw Hermione sat at one of the potion benches, hunched over pieces of parchment with a muggle pen in hand and another behind her ear.

They crept up behind her and before they could get any closer, Hermione whirled around with her wand pointed in Fred's face and he gulped.

"Easy there, Granger," Fred said, holding his hands up in surrender.

She sighed, dropped her wand and then punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" He whined in surprise. "I've just come out of a coma," he complained, rubbing the aching spot on his arm.

"You're walking, you're talking; you're fine," she deadpanned, before turning and going back to what she was doing before they’d interrupted her and George laughed.

"So, Hermione, did you fix the flat up for us? And the entire shop?" George asked and he flung his arm around her shoulders.

"Yes," she replied absentmindedly as she was looking over a list with carefully eyes.

"Why?" Fred inquired, moving to stand on her other side and leaning against the work bench.

She sighed and turned to face him. "Because you deserve it," she said simply and they looked at her with cocked heads. "You two have been through a lot, your family has been through a lot and I thought I would take care of it for you whilst Fred was in hospital. I wanted you to be able to get out of the hospital and continue on with your lives without any distractions or setbacks. You've worked hard to create this place and without any help. I decided that this time I would help you. Plus, the Wizarding World is going to need the two of you. The war may be over and the Wizarding World may be almost repaired, but what happened will never be forgotten. You two will bring joy and laughter to people's lives once again. Because of you people will know what it feels like to laugh again," she said sincerely and George beamed and turned his eyes to a stunned Fred.

"I thought you didn't approve of our mischievous ways," Fred said.

Hermione scoffed. "You're kidding right? I think you two are geniuses. Two of the finest minds I’ve gone up against."

"You think we're geniuses?" George said, batting his eyelashes and she laughed at him and hit his arm gently.

"But you were always giving us a hard time," Fred said confused.

"What happened when I yelled at you? When I gave you detention? When I threatened to tell your mother about your pranks at school?" She asked smiling.

"We got mad and we made more products to prove you wrong," he said frowning.

"You genius!" George whispered, looking at Hermione in awe and she grinned in response. "Don't you get it, Fred? She pushed us to be better. She's the reason we made so many of our products in the first place. She’s the reason some of our products exist."

Fred looked at her, still looking surprised and confused.

"It's true; I deliberately aggravated you because I knew you were capable of so much more than pranking first years. I knew the world would need you to give them hope and laughter in times of war," she said softly.

"But you were so..." He trailed off, not knowing the right word to use.

"Goody to shoes, bookworm, bossy, know-it- all?" She supplied and he nodded. George shook his head at them. "I was that way for a reason or I _appeared_ that way for a reason. I‘ve broken more rules than the two of you combined. I am a book worm, but that's because I didn't have any friends as a child, the other children all thought I was a freak and my parents were always working. I don't have any siblings and it was a lonely childhood, the only thing I had were books. That's where I found my comfort, my solace. Bossy? Well, I am bossy," she said shrugging, not denying it and they chuckled at her. "But I had to be. Harry and Ron would've failed every class otherwise and they would likely be dead without me constantly giving them instructions and nagging them to be careful. And I’m a know-it-all for more than one reason."

"Oh yeah? And what are those then?" Fred asked curiously and turning to face her.

"I had to know everything I could in order to keep Harry and Ron alive, because they sure as hell weren't going to study. They left the burden of knowing everything to me. If I didn't know something and we needed it, it could’ve gotten us killed."

"Okay, and the other reasons?"

"I’m a Muggleborn. I didn't find out about the Wizarding World until I was eleven. Coming into this world, I was at a disadvantage. I wanted to catch up to everyone so that I wouldn't be a freak in the world I was meant to be in. Then in second year I was called a Mudblood for the first time," she said, looking down at her left arm.

"What are you looking at?" George asked her.

"Nothing," she said quickly and it made them suspicious. "Anyway, when Malfoy called me a Mudblood for the first time, I realised that I would never be equal in this world. So I worked harder to be better than him. Better in classes, better at spells, just basically kicking his arse." They chuckled at her. "And the final reason, I was that way because it was expected of me."

"No one expected that of you," George said softly.

"My parents did, specifically my dad. They changed when they found out I was a witch. They became more distant. It wasn't their fault because they didn't understand magic or our world. But then after my parents were informed about what had happened during my first year, they lost it and threatened to pull me out of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was able to convince them otherwise, but since then my father had always expected perfect grades, otherwise he would’ve pulled me from Hogwarts and made me give up my life as a witch. They never knew of anything that happened after my first year," she said sadly and they looked at her strangely.

"Well, thank you for getting this place fixed up for us," Fred said and she nodded. "All that's left to do is restock and then we can open the doors," he said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"Have you not seen the shop floor?" She asked amused.

"Yes, why?"

"Go and look, and really look this time," she ordered and she pushed them in front of her and out of the room onto the shop floor.

That's when they noticed all the shelves had been restocked and the window display had been put up.

"Check the storage room," she said amused and they ran back through the velvet curtain and into the storage room.

"No way!" They yelled and she laughed and walked into the storage room after them.

"I fixed your flat in a day and the shop the next day. I've spent the last two weeks getting your stock back up, I fixed up the outside of the shop and restocked your food cupboards, too." They looked at her in surprise. "I've made a thousand of your most popular products and five hundred of the rest and I organised them into categories and then alphabetical order. That way you know where everything is and you can restock the shelves in a hurry and you are also fully stocked on your potion ingredients."

"How?" They asked in awe.

She grinned. "I found your recipe and instruction book hidden behind a loose brick in the wall." They looked at her shocked and she chuckled.

"How did you follow the recipes?" Fred asked curiously.

"We tried to hire staff with qualifications in potions, charms and transfiguration to help us with restocking the shelves, but they couldn't make the products. They said they were too complex. Fred and I are the only ones that can make the products without messing them up or injuring ourselves," George said.

"Please, they were easy. Well, I mean they were complex, but they were easy. I just followed the instructions, used the correct charms, stuck to the correct time frame and packaged them up," she shrugged and they looked at her in awe. "I don’t actually think it’s the recipes that are the problem, it’s more of the method in which you’ve written the instructions, but I understand you, I know there’s a method to your madness and others don’t, which is why I was able to follow your recipes without getting confused. I went through your potion inventory and ordered every ingredient you used in your products, plus a few others that you may want for any future products. They sent the order back the next day, I guess they saw my name and rushed it out. They even sent me double what I asked for," she said annoyed and they chuckled. She walked out of the storage room and back onto the shop floor.

"So we’re ready to open the shop?" Fred asked excited as they both followed after her.

"I would maybe advertise first so that people know, but yes, you’re ready to open your doors to the public."

They twins had the biggest grins she’d ever seen on someone's face and George picked her up and hugged her, spinning her in circles and she laughed at him. When he put her down, Fred picked up her hand, pulled her into him and began spinning her around and dancing about the shop floor and George laughed at the two of them.

"So, Hermione?" George said.

"Yes?"

"Move in with us," they said together and she scowled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 8

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – Monday 22nd June 1998**

It was two months after the Final Battle and the Wizarding World had been repaired. People were getting on with their lives and were less fearful in public, understandably they were still a little jittery and cautious, but they left their homes and ventured into public freely and with the knowledge that they were no longer in danger as they once had been.

Diagon Alley was alive again with bustling shoppers and excited children running around. The most popular shop was, of course, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, after it reopened a few days after Fred had gotten out of St. Mungo’s. They opened the shop at nine in the morning with a line of customers waiting outside the door and they didn't lock up until seven at night, Monday to Friday when the last stragglers were ushered out. And on Saturday they closed at five in the evening and they had a well deserved day off on Sunday.

And despite her protests, Hermione had moved into the flat with the twins the day after they suggested it. She’d walked into her bedroom at The Burrow to see it empty of her things. She’d immediately floo’d over to the twins’ shop and found the twins sitting on the couch looking at her innocently. And before she knew what’d happened, she’d been disarmed of her wand and she was pushed into a bedroom that had boxes with all her things in, waiting to be unpacked. The twins locked her in the room with the only chance of being let out if she unpacked and moved in with them.

The family had been shocked with the announcement, but after a few weeks, they agreed that it was best for everyone. Charlie had moved back to Romania and Percy moved back into his flat in London, leaving The Burrow empty, much to Mrs. Weasley's displeasure. But the twins, Hermione, Percy, Bill and his wife, Fleur –who’d discovered she was pregnant- attended dinner at The Burrow every Sunday night without fail and Charlie would floo over occasionally whenever he had the chance. They’d all been surprised by the bond that had formed between Hermione and the twins in such little time, but they’d quickly gotten over it.

Hermione had been living with the twins for the last six weeks and they got along rather well. She took care of the twins and they took care of her. She couldn't believe how close she’d gotten to them, and she hated to admit it, but she was closer to the twins after six weeks than she was to Harry and Ron after seven years. They were her big brothers and best friends, and they certainly treated her better than Harry and Ron ever had.

Hermione wouldn’t set foot outside the shop unless she’d glamoured herself in some way –changing her nose, her hair colour, straitening her hair– or unless she was with the twins. They would help her avoid the press and cameras and act as bodyguards. At one point George had taken the camera from the photographer's hands and threw it to the floor, before sending an _Incendio_ at it and glaring at the man. She was grateful she had them.

They had a routine. Hermione would wake first, usually around seven o’clock and she would shower and dress, and then head to the kitchen where she made breakfast. She made tea for herself and George, coffee for Fred and then they would both have a glass of orange juice with whatever Hermione had made for breakfast that day, and she made sure to make something different everyday so they wouldn't get bored of eating the same foods.

When she’d finished making breakfast, she would wake the twins around seven-thirty and they would stumble into the kitchen shirtless, with messy hair, stretching and yawning. Hermione had blushed bright red for the first week, earning her teasing and smirks, but she’d quickly gotten over it and it bother her anymore. The twins would kiss her on the cheek or forehead in greeting and thanks for breakfast, and sit down at the table where the conversation flowed naturally.

After breakfast the twins would leave to get showered and dressed for the day and she would tackle the dishes and clean the table, before heading down to the shop floor, putting on the hideous magenta robes that were monogrammed with her name – and secretly she’d come to love them- and she would set about doing what needed to be done before the opening of the shop.

The twins would come down and greet her with a big smile, before opening the shop, letting in Verity and Lee and the customers. Hermione and the twins would help the customers, work the counter, check inventory or be in the back making products. Verity would help customers and work at the counter and Lee would help customers and focus on the mail orders. Lee was at first surprised to learn about Hermione's new found friendship with the twins, not to mention that she was living with them and working at the shop, too. But after a week of seeing their interactions, he understood it; she was a lot like the twins and it scared him. Actually it terrified him; the twins’ pranks before had been brilliant, but with Hermione, their pranks were downright frighteningly ingenious.

The twins were grateful to have Hermione working at the shop; they had someone who knew the shop just as well as they did, since she’d put a part of herself into when fixing it up with her magic, leaving behind her magical signature on the building. With her at the shop, it meant the staff weren't stretched too thin or stressed, and she was able to make the products which helped to kept their shelves stocked. She’d even managed reworked some of the twins’ recipes so they could cut production time for some of their products in half, and they still had the same results, some even better. It meant they could make double the amount of product of what they usually would in a single day.

When lunch time rolled around, Hermione would head upstairs to the flat and make lunch for everyone and they would take it in shifts to have their lunch breaks before returning to work. Lee and Verity would leave the shop at five o'clock since it wasn't as busy and Hermione and the twins could easily handle the shop floor. When they locked up two hours later, they hung up their robes and headed up to the flat.

Hermione would set to work making dinner and the twins would either help where they could -but not often since they couldn't cook to save their lives and they were actually dangerous in the kitchen- and they would set the table. The trio would eat together, laughing and chatting before the twins cleaned up the kitchen and dishes.

They spent their evenings sat in the living room reading, laughing and joking, brain storming ideas for new products, –which had surprised the twins at first with some of Hermione’s ingenious ideas- they would play muggle games Hermione had bought from a trip to Muggle London and it always ended in threats, tears, arguments and laughter.

When the hour grew late, they would change and head to their own rooms to sleep for the night, but the twins would wake to Hermione’s nightmares before rushing to her bedside. They would climb in bed with her, comfort her and stay with her until she fell back asleep. After three weeks they’d finally broken her down and she told them about everything; every detail of her life at school, every detail of being on the run and every detail of her capture and torture at Malfoy Manor.

When she’d finally told them, the twins were furious to say the least. It was a good job Bellatrix was dead and not in Azkaban otherwise they would've found a way to break in and kill her themselves, or so they said. It was lucky Harry and Ron had left the country when they had, otherwise they would’ve likely ended up in hospital from the injuries the twins were planning on giving them the next time they saw them.

When Hermione finally fell back to sleep, they would stay with her for a little while, making sure she was deep in her sleep before they left her and headed back to their own rooms, until Hermione woke them for breakfast. That was their routine and it had been for the last six weeks.

But that morning was a little different.

When Hermione woke the boys, they stumbled into the kitchen shirtless, yawning and stretching, kissing her forehead or cheek and mumbling their good mornings, and as soon as Hermione had put their tea and coffee in front of them and they took a sip, they were wide awake and it always made her chuckle at the way they looked at their food with loving expressions. She’d never met someone who loved food as much as The Weasley Twins.

That morning Hermione had made banana pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. No matter what she made for breakfast, she always had a side plate of bacon ready as the twins swore up and down they couldn’t live without it.

They chatted as usually until and the mail arrived and Hermione flicked her wand at the window to let the owl in. She gave it a treat and she handed the boys their mail before turning her attention to _The Daily Prophet._

Hermione dropped her fork on the table with a clatter and the twins looked up at her worried, seeing her paling face and wide eyes.

"What‘s up, Mia?" George asked, using the shortened version of her name that the twins often called her.

She didn't answer, just stared at the newspaper gripped tightly in her hands.

"Mia, you're scaring us," Fred said with a worried frown.

"Due to the rapid decline in the population of magic folk, as of a week ago today, the Ministry has put into effect a Marriage Law in which all witches and wizards aged between seventeen and forty five -that are not in school or married- are set to marry the match given to them by the Ministry. For those who are already engaged and registered with the Ministry, you are exempt from this law. Failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the law will result in your wand being snapped and being exiled from the Wizarding World or life imprisonment in Azkaban. Eligible witches and wizards should receive the letters regarding the rules and regulations as well as their matches sometime today," she read out loud.

The twins stared at her in surprise before George reached over the table, took the newspaper from her frozen form and he and Fred put their heads together, reading the article for themselves.

"Bloody hell!" The twins cursed, with George throwing the newspaper on the table.

"Mia?" Fred questioned worried.

"How can they do this?" She whispered staring at a spot on the wall over his head. "Haven't we been through enough?" She asked, but there was nothing they could say to her. "This isn’t good. What if I get matched with a former Death Eater or sympathiser?" She asked with a frightened look flickering across her face, and that’s when it hit them.

She _was_ in potential danger, she was right; she could be matched with a former Death Eater or sympathiser, with someone that wished her harm and there would be nothing they could do to protect her. She was in the spot light, she had that burden to bear, and because of it, that made her the number one target for revenge. Even now she still received at least thirty letters a day from the Ministry, _The Daily Prophet_ , businesses, and she received death threats, too.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Mia," George spoke softly. She looked at him incredulously and he chuckled at her.

"I don't think we should bother opening the shop today, at least until after we get our letters," Fred said, gaining a nod of agreement from his twin.

"I'll owl Verity and Lee," George spoke, before they both stood from the table and left Hermione alone in the kitchen, as she let out a sigh of exhaustion.

She was so tired. She’d just finished fighting a war and when she finally had the chance to live the life she wanted, it had been taken from her as she was being forced to marry a complete stranger. Or worse, a Death Eater.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a Ministry owl flew in through the open window, dropped three letters on the table and left without so much as a hoot. She eyed the letters in dislike before she picked them up.

"FRED! George!" She called, and they walked out of their rooms and back into the kitchen, now being dressed.

Their eyes fell to the letters in her hand and nervous looks crossed their faces, before they shared a look and nodded.

"Let's go to The Burrow. I'm sure everyone will be waiting for us," George suggested.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

The trio stepped out of the floo and into the living room of The Burrow, before they made their way into the kitchen, each holding their own letter. They were right, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur and Percy were all crowded around the kitchen table, with three empty seats left for them.

"Oh, my dear children," Mrs. Weasley spoke worriedly, rushing forward and hugging the twins before ushering them into seats and then she turned to Hermione. "How are you, Dear?" She asked, hugging her tightly and Hermione melted into the hug, seeing as Mrs. Weasley was her mother in everything but blood.

She missed her parents terribly and she still hadn't told anyone but the twins about their deaths, but she was glad she had Mrs. Weasley. She pulled away and Mrs. Weasley took her face in her hands, her eyes searching her features for something, Hermione didn’t know what.

"I could be matched with a former Death Eater or sympathiser who wants to kill me, I couldn't be better," she joked. The twins snorted and the others frowned; they hadn't thought of that possibility.

"I'm sorry I couldn't warn you all sooner. It’s been under wraps since the end of the war. I, myself, only found out ten minutes before the press release," Mr. Weasley said apologetically but they just they waved it off; it wasn’t his fault and they didn’t blame him.

Hermione sat down in-between the twins and Mrs, Weasley sat next to her husband. The law only applied to Percy, Hermione and the twins, since Bill was married and Charlie lived in Romania.

Four letters sat on the table in front of them and everyone just stared at them, until Percy sighed and picked up his letter.

"I'll go first," he offered. He opened his letter and his eyes scanned over the writing before he moved another piece of parchment out from behind the first and he read out the name. "Audrey Wells,"

"Who's that?" Bill asked confused.

"I think she works for the Ministry," Percy replied and he put his letter down and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll owl her later,"

The room fell silent, everyone looking to Hermione and the twins. Fred and George sighed, picked up their letters, looked to each other and then nodded, before ripping their letters open and reading them at the same time. They were watched silently as their eyes moved over the parchment and then they put their letters down on the table, confused expressions on their faces.

"Well, don't keep us waiting," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously.

"I've been excused from the law," Fred said puzzled.

Mrs. Weasley sighed in relief. "Does it say why?"

"Just that I’ve suffered severe injuries during the war and they don't want to pressure me," he said shrugging.

"But you're perfectly healthy," Bill said with a cocked head.

"I know, I was discharged the same day I woke from the coma, there’s nothing wrong with me," he muttered.

"Well, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth," Hermione smiled, feeling relieved for her best friend and big brother.

"George?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I've been excused, too" he said, looking at everyone baffled.

"What? Why?" Mrs. Weasley asked surprised.

"Pretty much the same as Fred, I’ve suffered injuries and I almost lost my twin brother."

"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley encouraged softly, likely already knowing that Hermione wouldn’t have the same fortune as her twin sons.

Hermione picked the letter up with shaking hands and opened it, removing the parchment from the envelope and her eyes scanned the words in front of her slowly.

_Miss. Hermione Jean Granger,_

_Under the recently passed Marriage Law, we have been informed that you are not returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry come 1st September, 1998. As a result you are eligible for marriage._

_This law has been passed due to the rapid decline in the wizarding population and the fallout from the war. Purebloods are not permitted to marry someone of their own status, unless engaged and registered with the Ministry before this law was passed. Through this, we hope to put a stop to blood supremacy and prejudice within our community._

_Through a series of complex charms and spells we have found you a match, who we believe you will have a long and happy marriage with. The identity of your match can be found on the parchment attached to this missive._

_Once you have learned the identity of your match there are a series of rules and regulations which you must both abide by. If any of these are found to be broken, it will result in time in Azkaban or having your wand snapped and you will be exiled from the Wizarding World._

_You must abide by the following:_

  1. _a) You and your partner must be married in three month’s time by the date you receive your matches._
  2. _b) You and your partner must share housing accommodations._
  3. _c) You have twenty-four hours to consummate the marriage after the wedding ceremony._
  4. _d) The marriage must be consummated once a week until a healer confirms pregnancy or face time in Azkaban._
  5. _e) You must be pregnant within one year of marriage or you face time in Azkaban, unless you have been deemed infertile by a healer and it can be proven._
  6. _f) Any form of contraceptives, both magical and muggle, are forbidden. The use of contraceptives will result in time faced in Azkaban._
  7. _g) If either you or your partner are found to be infertile, you can choose to be excused from the law and stay with your partner or you will be given another match._
  8. _h) A Ministry Official will have regular checkups with you and your partner to assess and monitor how your marriage is fairing._
  9. _i) Partners cannot and will not be re-matched unless either proves to be infertile._



_Please make wedding arrangements at the Ministry in the Family Affairs Department, as soon as possible._

They were all staring at her worriedly; she hadn't taken a single breath since opening her letter.

"Mia?" Fred said softly, but she didn’t respond. He reached over and took the letter from her hand and he read it aloud for everyone to hear.

"They can't do that!" Mrs. Weasley raged.

"I'm afraid they can, Molly," Mr. Weasley said sadly.

"They’re blackmailing her. Get married or get thrown in Azkaban. Have sex or get thrown in Azkaban. Get pregnant or get thrown in Azkaban!" George fumed. "Why are they doing this to her? Why hasn't she been excused from the law? She’s been through more than everyone in this room combined!" George's hand slammed against the table in anger and it forced Hermione out of frozen state. She startled, grabbed her wand and pointed it in his face. Everyone's eyes widened.

"Sorry, Mia," he muttered, taking her wand from her hand and placing it on the table, before putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to lean against him.

"I can't believe zey are making people do this," Fleur spoke, leaning against her husband with her hands resting over her flat stomach.

"Apparently not everyone. Only those who aren’t in school, already engaged or exempt," George sighed.

"Why are you not excused? You should be," Fred said angrily.

"They’re going to use me as their poster child. I’m the most famous Muggleborn in our community and a War Heroine. Of course they’re going to make me do this. I was left with this burden and I have no choice if I want to stay in this world. They’re going to put me on a pedestal and parade me in front of the world, use me as an example of why this law shouldn’t be fought, and if I’m _supporting_ it, then others should too," she said quietly, forcing back the tears that were threatening to spill. "I just hope I'm not paired with someone who wants to kill me.”

"Who’d you get?" Fred asked her and she shrugged in reply, having not seen the name of her match.

Fred looked at the second piece of parchment and his eyebrow rose at the name written on it.

"Who is it?" George asked, noticing his expression. "It's not someone who’ll hurt her, is it? Please tell me it’s not," he said anxiously.

"No, it's just not someone I would expect," Fred replied to his twin.

"Fred, don't keep us waiting," Bill said, rolling his eyes.

"Oliver Wood,"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**The Burrow – Monday 22nd June 1998**

George, Percy and Bill all had questioning looks on their faces.

"Seriously?" George asked and Fred showed him the parchment so he could see for himself.

"Wasn't he the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain?" Hermione asked, sounding confused and with a slight frown on her face.

"Yeah, he was four years ahead of you. He's a Quidditch nut, but a decent guy. He'll treat you right," Fred assured her.

"He better," George muttered.

"He's actually the Captain of Puddlemere now. They've managed to get the Quidditch league up and running before Quidditch season. The first match of the season is in July."

"Well, I imagine this isn't going to be easy on him. He's marrying someone four years younger than him, he has the pressure of being Captain and getting the team ready for Quidditch season, and now he has to marry someone like me, too," Hermione said.

"Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?" Fred asked with a frown.

She shrugged. "Well I'm not exactly someone a Quidditch star will want to marry, am I?"

"Again, what’s that suppose to mean?" George repeated with an identical frown to match his twin's.

The others smiled as they watched the trio interact; they were like their own little family, like siblings. The dynamics were going to change now that the marriage law had been put into effect. Hermione would be married and would have to move out of the flat in three months time. They may have only been living together for six weeks, but it felt like years to them. And they weren't ready for her to leave, it was too soon. The only comfort the twins could take was that Oliver was a good person and Hermione would still be working at the shop, so they’d still see her every day.

"Well, you know, look at me," she said, gesturing to herself with her hand and looking down at herself. "I'm average at best," she said and the twins scoffed.

"You're beautiful, you just don't see it," Fred replied.

"You have to say that; I make your food," she muttered and they chuckled at her, shaking their heads.

"What about that guy that comes in the shop three times a week and flirts with you whilst you are at the counter?" George asked.

"He's ten," she replied and they started laughing loudly. Fred, George and Hermione looked at the others in surprise, only just remembering they were there, too.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

Oliver Wood wasn't a complicated man. His life revolved around Quidditch and he didn't like distractions, particularly during Quidditch season. He would visit his parents at least once a week and write to them a couple of times a week. When he went out drinking, he would meet a girl and go back to her place and then he would sneak out when she fell asleep, he never stayed and he never brought anyone back to his apartment. He never considered settling down and marrying someone, especially not under a law. And definitely not until after his Quidditch career was over.

Quidditch was now back underway with the teams sorting themselves out and the league back in the equation. He was now Captain and had less than a month to get his sorry team into shape before their first match of the season.

The last thing he needed was being forced into a marriage. He was twenty-two years old and getting married. He knew he was going to get teased mercilessly by his team mates, since they were all older than he was and they were either engaged or married before the law was put into effect, meaning they were all exempt and he was the only one affected by it. But being Captain had its advantages.

He sighed and lifted the other piece of parchment that had the name of his future wife to be written on it. He hoped to Merlin it wasn't his number one fan, he’d met her and she was bat-shit crazy; she was the reason he’d moved and never disclosed his address to anyone but his parents, even his own teammates didn't know where he lived.

"Hermione Granger," he read aloud in surprise.

He didn't know her personally, but he knew _of_ her. Hell, everyone knew who she was. She was The Golden Girl of the Wizarding World, especially since the disappearance of Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley, everything had been left on her shoulders and he didn't envy the poor witch. From what he could remember of her from school, she was the Princess of Gryffindor. A bossy know-it-all, that saved the team in a game of torrential rain. Whenever he saw her around the castle –which wasn't often– she always had her nose stuck in a book, usually the same book, too

"Well, this should be interesting," he said to himself.

He stood up, grabbed his broom and floo’d to his parents’ manor to tell them the news before he headed to the stadium for practice.

~000~000~000~

**Tuesday 23rd June, 1998**

Oliver decided he should meet his future wife as soon as possible and get the awkwardness over with. He didn't know where she worked, he didn't know where she lived and he didn't know where she was, so he did the next best thing...He floo’d The Burrow. He knew she was close to The Weasleys, so that was his best chance of finding her.

He didn't exactly know the address so he just hoped for the best.

"Hello," he called out cautiously.

He saw Mrs. Weasley round the corner and he sighed in relief; he’d gotten the right house.

"Oliver?" The older woman said in surprise and she knelt down in front of the floo.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," he said politely and with a small smile.

"What can I do for you?" She asked kindly.

"A was wondering if a could please speak tae Hermione Granger,"

"I'm afraid she hasn't lived here for a while, Dear. If you wish to speak with her, you should visit Fred and George at their shop." He raised an eyebrow. "I know, we didn't understand it either at first, but we realised it made perfect sense," she chuckled.

"Thank ye, Mrs. Weasley," he said, before ending the call and flooing to Diagon Alley.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Oliver walked into the bustling and crowded shop and he took in his surroundings amused, he wouldn’t expect anything less from The Weasley Twins. He chuckled as things flew through the air, as fireworks were going off left, right and centre, and as a canon was fired, sending the canon ball from one side of the shop to the other. He had to squeeze past people as he made his way towards the counter where he spotted Lee Jordan. It was so crowded people didn't have room to recognise him, which he was grateful for.

"Hey, Oliver," he greeted with a smile.

"Lee," he replied, shaking his hand.

"So, what brings you here? Looking to prank the team, Mr. Captain," He asked, saluting him and Oliver snorted.

"Maybe later, is Hermione Granger here?"

"Hermione? Why?" Lee asked suspiciously, his eyes carefully watching Oliver’s face, but he was saved from answering when George waltzed up to him.

"Oliver," he grinned and they shook hands.

"A was told a could find Hermione Granger here," Oliver said and watching for a reaction, but George continued smiling.

"Then you've come to the right place," he said, motioning with his hand that he should follow him. "Lee, can you and Verity watch the floor a little while?"

"Yeah, we got it," Lee replied and he walked away to help a customer.

George began walking behind the counter and Oliver followed him behind a velvet curtain and up some stairs. He took out his wand and waved it in a pattern before the door clicked and George pocketed his wand and opened the door.

He walked through the living room and towards a door that was left ajar, whilst Oliver was surprised at how normal the living room looked. It was white and pale green, with a white couch and arm chair, a wooden coffee table in the middle of them, light laminate flooring, a white bookshelf against a wall and a fireplace against another. The kitchen and living room were separated by a counter and breakfast bar and there were four doors along another wall, which George led them to the last one.

He peaked his head in the door and opened it completely and Oliver's eyes widened at the sight that met him. There on the bed was Hermione Granger, asleep in a pair of pink shorts and a Weasley Quidditch jersey. But what made his eyes widen wasn’t that she was asleep or what she was wearing, it was that she was snuggled up to a shirtless Fred Weasley, who was alternating between running his hand through her hair and tracing patterns on her arm.

"How's she doing?" George asked Fred quietly.

The twin walked into the room and sat down on the bed on the other side of a slumbering Hermione, who was facing away from him. All he could see was the back of Hermione's head and her hair seemed to have frizzed up during the night, so it resembled her earlier years at Hogwarts and George chuckled, shaking his head at the sight. Oliver stayed stood in the door way still in shock at what he was seeing.

"She's settled down, hasn't made a sound or moved since. She'll probably wake soon," Fred said quietly with a fond look on his face as he looked down at the little witch cuddled up to him. "Wood," Fred smiled in greeting, tipping his head slightly.

Oliver blinked, cleared his throat and then spoke. "Should a be worried aboot ye snuggling with me future wife whilst she’s sleeping an’ draped over yer shirtless chest?" He asked, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrow cocked.

Fred and George both smirked and they looked at him amused. "Jealous?" They asked together.

"Should a be?"

The twins didn’t reply, but their smirks stayed firmly in place. George stood from the bed and Fred carefully removed himself from the hold Hermione had on him, and he covered her with the blanket tenderly. Oliver raised an eyebrow again but didn't say anything. Fred motioned for Oliver to follow him and he closed the door behind them and he walked into the kitchen where George was making tea for Hermione, knowing she wouldn't be asleep for much longer.

They sat down at the table and Fred and George stared at Oliver in silence.

"So, ye twa an; Granger..." Oliver said, breaking the silence. "Never saw tha’ one coming."

"She's a lot like us believe it or not, she was just fighting the war long before we were," George shrugged.

"Ye seem close,"

Fred raised an eyebrow at him. _'He wasn't jealous, was he?_ ' Fred thought.

"Closer than she was with Harry an’ Ron."

The twins scowled at hearing their names and Oliver noticed, his curiosity being peaked by their reactions. 

"We are close, she's our little sister. She takes care of us and we take care of her," George said simply. "She can't leave here without being attacked by the press or members of the public. We either go with her or she glamours herself in some way."

"So hoo did ye become close? Hoo long has she lived with ye?" He asked curiously.

"She took care of me and Fred when he was in the hospital. She stayed every night so I could get some sleep and she took care of him during the night, she brought me food and clean clothing every day without fail. We talked, leaning more about each other and we grew close. The night she finally convinced me to leave the hospital and get some actual sleep Fred woke from his coma."

"It was a shock to see Mia curled up in a chair by my bed, that was for sure," Fred chuckled. "When she left to give us some privacy, George told me everything and later that day we discovered that Hermione had repaired the flat, entire shop and she’d restocked our kitchen and the entire storage room within two weeks," he said, shaking his head with a smile.

"She said something about us deserving her kindness because we’d been through a lot and she wanted us to get on with our lives without any interruptions. We always thought she disapproved of our pranking and jokes because she was so hard on us in school, but it turns out she's proud of us, thinks were geniuses, actually, and the world needs us to show them how to laugh again," George said smiling. "She purposely fought with us so we’d go away and create something better. She pushed s to be better because she thought we were capable of much more than pranking first years. It's partially thanks to her that we opened the shop in the first place."

"She's a bloody genius, too; she's the only person we’ve met that’s been able to understand our recipes and make the products in the back room with us. We’ve tried to hire extra staff in the past, but no one could comprehend the complex recipes and our methods. She’s even managed to alter our recipes so we can cut our production time in half, and with better results, too." Fred said proudly. "Half of the new products we're preparing to launch were her idea; she created them without any input for us," he grinned.

"Tha’ doesn't sound like the Hermione Granger a know af," Oliver said sceptically.

"You don't know the real Hermione Granger like we do,” George shrugged. “Anyway, she moved in with us the day after Fred was discharged from St. Mungo’s. She had to move; everyone knew where she was and she wanted privacy. Only our family, Lee and now you know she's here, so she's safe."

"Why isnae she stayin’ with her parents?" Oliver wasn’t blind to the way they shifted uncomfortably in their seats and they looked to each other sadly.

"She just isn't and if you want to know why, you’ll have to ask her yourself. Just wait a while before you do," Fred warned. "Anyway, she gets a lot of letters. She doesn't get as many as she did six weeks ago, but she still gets a good forty or so a day."

"What letters?" He asked, being surprised by the amount.

"Letters from the Ministry, and _The Daily Prophet_ wanting exclusives and interviews about the war and Harry and Ron. Some are job offers, some endorsement offers, some are from members of the public and she gets death threats, too."

"Speaking af Harry an’ Ron, why isnae she stayin’ with them instead af ye?"

The look of anger that crossed their faces took him by surprise.

"Harry, Ron and Ginny left the country the night of the Final Battle. They left her behind without so much as a goodbye. They left her a note, that's it. Harry said he was grateful to have her as a friend because she never once abandoned him, but he abandoned her and left her with the burden off the aftermath. She can't go anywhere without being mobbed because of them. They also left our family a letter, they left after Fred was rushed to hospital. They don't even know he's alive, but it seems they don't care. They haven't sent a single owl asking after anyone or to let us know they're safe," George glowered.

Oliver sat back in his chair. _'No wonder no one knew where she was,'_ he thought.

Oliver cleared his throat in the silence of the room. "Why is Granger still asleep, a wouldn't have pegged her as the sleeping in type?"

"She's not, she's usually up and ready and already made breakfast before we wake. But she had a bad night last night, she's usually in the shop by now, but we wanted to let her sleep," George explained.

"A don't blame her, this marriage law thing’s bullshit," Oliver grumbled, tiredly rubbing his hand over his face and then moving to run it through his hair.

"That was part of it..." George looked at Fred. "He needs to know..."

"Yeah, but she'll be mad..." Fred muttered.

"And she cooks our food..."

"But he needs to know..." Fred sighed.

"So he’s prepared, right," George nodded.

Oliver looked at the both of them confused; he hated it when they did that.

"Will someone please decode tha’ fer mae?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

The twins sighed and sat up straight in their seats, leaning forward so their arms were resting on the table.

"Hermione’s been through a lot. We won't tell you everything as it's her life and it’s her place to do so if and when she wants to. But she’s been though a lot the last seven years and she’s sacrificed so much that she deserves to be happy. Hermione has problems with her weight...Now don't look at us like that," George warned after noticing Oliver's expression.

"She isn't anorexic or anything...It's just that when she was on the run during the war, they ran out of food and in order to keep Harry and Ron fed, Hermione gave her portion of food," Fred said. Oliver’s eyebrows rose at the news. "She's lost over three stone in weight. At first she could only eat two meals a day as she felt ill with her body not being used to so much food. She was lucky if she ate once every couple of days whilst on the run. But now she’s eating three meals a day, but only in small portions; they still make her feel ill, but they’re building and we’re working on it. She’s put on some weight, but not as much as she should’ve because of other factors that are stopping her."

"Such as?" He asked. _'It couldn't get worse, could it?'_ He thought.

"They were captured and Hermione was...Was..." George swallowed and then sighed, closing his eyes and visibly collecting himself.

"Was?"

"She was tortured," Fred spoke up for his twin who was clenching his fists, remembering the night she’d finally divulged her secrets.

He was wrong, it could get worse. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"She was tortured for hours, both magical and muggle means, and a few people attempted to rape her, toom" he said gritting his teeth and Oliver felt his stomach turn and he looked towards the door where the sleeping witch was located. "But she never told them anything," he spoke, pride filling his tone.

"The torture she endured left some side effects, one of them is slowing down her ability to put weight back on. She doesn't look bad; she just doesn't look like the Hermione we saw at Bill's wedding. When she first moved in, her ribs were almost sticking out. But she's getting better, healthier," George told him.

"She has nightmares every night; she wakes up screaming, crying and flailing around. Every night we calm her down and we stay with her for a little while until she falls asleep, then we leave and she wakes us up in the morning for breakfast. When you arrived she’d been up most of the night worrying about the law, worrying about you," Fred said, smiling slightly.

"Mae? Why would she worry aboot mae? She doesn't even know mae," he asked confused.

"That’s who she is. She takes care of others before she does herself. She doesn't think she’s suitable to be a Quidditch wife," George chuckled with a shake of his head. "She doesn't believe she's beautiful enough to be a Quidditch wife. She doesn't want your teammates to tease you because of her and she doesn't want to embarrass you. She doesn't care what people think of her, but she's worried that you’ll resent her for being forced to marry her, she's worried that you’ll resent your teammates for taunting you because you have to marry her."

"You haven't seen her though; she’s changed a _lot_ since your last year," Fred smirked.

At that point they heard the shower running and they looked towards the bathroom.

"She's up," George chirped, and he stood from his chair to continue making Hermione a cup of tea and some toast for breakfast.

"There's something else you should know," Fred said.

"And that is?"

"She‘s very self conscious about her body. She’s gained a fair few scars over the years, and even we haven't seen them all yet because she hides them from us. But if you ever catch a glimpse of them, don't stare at her," Fred answered. Oliver nodded slowly, his mind wondering what her scars may look like and how she’d gotten them.

"Oh, and by the way..." George said, turning around to look at Oliver. "You better take care of her, even if she doesn't want you to. She's been taking care of people for the past seven years and now it's her turn to be taken care of. You had better treat her right because she’s special and you’ll never meet another person like Hermione again. And if you ever hurt her...Well, we’re very creative and you've seen some of our products...We'll gladly create one just for you," he finished his warning with a terrifying glare and Oliver shifted in his seat and laughed nervously, while Fred smirked and nodded in agreement with his brother.

"Is that before or after Hermione’s through with him?" Fred asked amused and George laughed.

"I know; I still can't believe she slipped a Hair-loss Potion into Malfoy's dinner in her fifth year," George laughed.

"She did what?" Oliver asked surprised. They ignored him and continued laughing.

"Or when she cursed Edgecombe for ratting on us to Umbridge," Fred laughed.

"She did what?" He repeated, but he was ignored again.

"Or when she set a heard of hippogriffs loose in the castle," George said and by this point they were in hysterics.

"She did what?" His voice rose slightly and they bent over themselves, laughing.

It took them a few moments to calm down and wipe the tears of laughter that had leaked from their eyes.

"But we'll still help her," Fred picked up from his brother's threat. "She's very important to us."

Oliver shook his head slightly, pushing away his thoughts. "A promise a won't hurt her," he said honestly and they nodded.

And he did mean it; he wasn't sure if he should be impressed or scared of Hermione. But even if the twins hadn't of threatened him, he would've treated Hermione right because that’s the way he was raised, and should he ever do anything to disrespect Hermione, he’d have his mother to deal with first, and she was frightening when she wanted to be. It wasn’t often Oliver misbehaved as a child for that reason. 

"Ye really care fer her, don't ye?" He questioned, surprised.

"Yes, we do, she's our little sister," George replied, buttering Hermione's toast when he heard the shower shut off.

"And we're not afraid to admit that we see her as more of a sister than we do Ginny. We learned more about Hermione in a day than we did about Ginny in seventeen years. She knows more about us than our brothers do and she understands us, just as we understand her. She was here when Ginny left and she stayed even though she had no reason to," Fred said.

Hermione's bedroom door opened, pulling their attention, and she hopped out of the room, trying to put on a shoe and struggling in her hurry towards the kitchen.

"I can't believe I’m late! Hermione Granger’s never later. Merlin, I haven't even made you breakfast," she fumed.

The twins chuckled at her and Oliver watched her amused as she lost her balance, slipped and fell over with a little squeak, landing on the floor with a ‘thud.’ Fred and George burst out laughing and Oliver chuckled when she quickly got up off the floor and went back to her shoe that she still hadn't gotten on her foot.

"I'm okay. I'm alright," she informed, her eyes looking down at her shoe, so she hadn't noticed Oliver sat at the table. "Why did you let me sleep so late?" She scolded the twins and they smiled. "It was my turn to open the shop. I can't believe I over slept. I can't believe I didn't make you breakfast. I'm putting a Silencing Charm on my room from now on; I’m not going to interrupt your sleep anymore."

"You’re not late; it's not even ten o’clock yet," Fred shrugged. "And there's no point, we’ll just remove the charm afterwards."

"Then I'll take a Dreamless Sleep Potion," she shot back.

"Over my dead body," Fred said seriously, his amusement gone instantly. "It’s addictive and it won't help you; it'll just get worse when you don't take the potion."

"You look great today," George complimented, effectively changing the subject and preventing an argument. Hermione snorted.

"Here we go," Fred muttered. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"You’re beautiful. There's that guy that comes in every Wednesday and Friday and flirts with you."

"He's seven and has a missing front tooth," she said. Fred laughed and Oliver chuckled. "That's the kind of people I attract. Toothless seven year olds, shameless ten year olds and handsy twelve year olds who don't understand the threat of one of my hexes," she grumbled and Fred laughed louder.

"I know, I think the Bat Bogey Hex you did on Charlie last week is the best," George spoke through his laughter.

"He was being a prat and he deserved it," Hermione argued.

She stood up after finishing with her shoe and her eyes widened when she noticed Oliver Wood sat at the kitchen table, his eyes on her and watching her in amusement.

"Oliver?" She spluttered surprised.

"Granger," he replied, nodding his head in greeting and barely keeping his amusement from his voice.

His eyes swept her frame, cataloguing her appearance. He had to admit that the twins hadn't been lying; she had changed a lot since his last year at school, or at least, what he remembered of her appearance had.

She was average height, five-foot-six, with tanned skin, a small button nose with a few barely visible freckles on the bridge of her nose. She had large, chocolate brown eyes and a head of wild mahogany curls that fell to the middle of her back. She was wearing a pair of white converse, black high waisted shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt that said, 'Caution! I’m not afraid of a little pranking'. The twins were right; she was beautiful. She was naturally beautiful as she wasn't wearing any makeup, unlike his teammates’ partners that seemed to cake it on.

"What...What..."

"What am a doin’ here?" He said knowingly and she nodded dumbly. He chuckled at her.

Fred and George smirked. Fred stood from his chair and walked over to Hermione; he pushed her towards the table and into a seat and George put her tea in front of her along with the toast he’d made.

"We'll be down on the shop floor if you need anything," Fred said, and he walked into his bedroom to ready for the day.

"Just come down when you're ready," George spoke and he kissed her on the forehead and walked to the door.

"It's Tuesday," she told George but still looking at Oliver in shock. "Thieving Terrance will be in before lunch," she said.

"I'll keep an eye out!" He called as he ran down the stairs.

Fred walked out of his bedroom dressed, took a piece of her toast, a sip from her tea mug and then he kissed her on her temple and followed after his twin.

"Confused Courtney should be in before eleven," she said.

"I'm on it!" He yelled, running down the stairs and leaving them alone in the silent room.

She watched Oliver carefully, her eyes taking in his appearance as she hadn’t seen him since she was fourteen. Even sitting down she knew he was tall, she’d say around six-foot-two. He had light brown hair that fell into his eyes and she could see he was muscular through his form fitting practice robes. His skin looked tanned and had large, brown puppy dog eyes and his charming Scottish accent; she could easily see why he was one of the Wizarding Britain’s most eligible bachelors. He was almost as famous as she was and it was going to be a nightmare when the press got wind of their forced and upcoming nuptials.

Hermione cleared her throat and summoned her Gryffindor courage.

"You haven't told me why you're here," she said, getting up from the table and grabbing a glass from the cupboard and pouring herself some orange juice. She offered him a glass, before placing one on the table in front of him when he nodded.

"A thought we should talk since we're gettin’ married," he said and she paled at hearing him saying it out loud.

"I guess we are," she muttered, pushing her hair out of her face, but it just fell back in place and she huffed in annoyance. "I'm sorry,"

"Fer?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"For being stuck with me," she sighed.

"It's not yer fault" he said shrugging his shoulders and lifting the glass of orange juice from the table to take a sip of the cold beverage.

"I know, but still, I'm sorry. I know I'm not the most...Aesthetically pleasing..."

He didn't understand how she thought so little of herself. Couldn't she see she was beautiful? She wasn't the most beautiful girl he’d seen, sure, but she was naturally beautiful. Before he could protest she continued speaking.

"I guess it came as quite the shock when you found out I was your match. I should apologise for that again. Your life must already be hectic with your profession, –congratulations on making Captain, by the way– but having me as your match is only going to make things worse, I'm afraid. The Ministry are going to put our marriage on a pedestal, they’re going to use us as an example," she said with a sigh and running a hand through her hair. "I just wish they would leave me alone." She sounded exhausted and he felt for the little witch. "I can't even leave the building without the twins accompanying me or changing my appearance in some way, otherwise I get mobbed and everyone just surrounds me and I can't escape."

"A'm sure a can deal with it an’ it should die down after a while. It’ll no longer be news an’ they’ll move on tae the next topic. Besides, we're not the only people under this law. Who are Fred an’ George marrying?" He asked curiously.

"They're not; they were excused from the law. I guess the Ministry isn't completely desperate yet and I suspect they may be a little afraid of Fred and George. If they were matched with someone they hated, they would send Canary Creams and Puking Pastels in the mail," she said shrugging. "Of course, they're furious that I’m being forced to marry given everything I’ve sacrificed over the years." She told him and she sat back in her chair. "Although they're glad I’m paired with you."

"They are?" His surprise was evident.

She nodded. "They know you; they know you enough to know you won't hurt me. Everyone worried that I would be paired with a former Death Eater or someone who wanted revenge; I'm the number one target. Fred and George have probably told you that I've been receiving death threats."

He nodded. "They may have mentioned it. Have ye informed the Ministry?"

"No,” she shook her head. “The aurors are too busy rounding up the fugitive Death Eaters. It’s nothing serious by any means. Besides, anyone who comes near me that wishes to harm me will end up staring at the business end of my wand." He chuckled at her. "You should prepare yourself though," she said. He looked at her confused so she explained further. "When people find out that we're paired together, you’ll likely receive threats. You're a Pureblood, right?" He nodded in response. "And I'm a Muggleborn, some won't be happy about that," she said.

"A'll keep an eye oot,"

"See that you do," she said, and she picked up a piece of toast and began nibbling on it and she lifted her wrist and checked her watch.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "Fine, a regular customer’s due in soon. Leo, he won't talk to anyone but me and he gets nervous around crowds."

"Do ye know all yer customers names?"

"Just the regulars and trouble makers," she shrugged.

"Confused Courtney?" He questioned, remembering the name from earlier.

"She comes in every Tuesday and asks about the same products every time. Thieving Terrance comes in every Tuesday and Friday and tries to steal products from the shelves and displays. I can't wait for the new school year," she said and he chuckled.

"If ye attended Hogwarts ye would be exempt from the law. So why aren't ye goin’ back tae school? A thought academics were important tae ye."

"I'll tell you another time; it's a long story. Don't you have to go to training?"

He looked at the clock on the wall in the kitchen and cursed. It was after ten o’clock; he was late for training as he hadn't expected to stay so long.

"Aye, a guess a do."

She stood up and took his glass for him and put it in the sink, before putting her plate and glass in the sink along with her mug. She’d only had a couple of bites of toast, but he didn't say anything, remembering what the twins had told him about her weight.

She led him to the door and grabbed her robes, putting them on over her clothes and walking down the stairs as she did so. The twins walked over to them when they noticed them walking out from behind the velvet curtain and they said their goodbye to Oliver, before Hermione walked him to the door, seeing Leo enter moments after.

He ran straight to her and Oliver chuckled as the little boy hugged her around the waist. Hermione laughed and looked down at him. Leo was nine years old; he had mousy blonde hair, green eyes and had a small smattering of freckles on his pale cheeks. He was wearing blue jeans, white trainers and a blue and white striped short sleeved t-shirt. Oliver watched the two curiously.

"Hey, Leo," she greeted with a smile and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, Hermione," he said grinning.

"So, what do you want to look at today?"

"Everything," he said excitedly and she laughed at him.

 _'She'll be a good mother some day,'_ Oliver thought. _'Whoa, where in the name of Merlin did that come from? I only just met the girl for Godric's sake!'_ He thought alarmed.

"Alright, but give me a moment, I have to say goodbye to my friend, okay?"

Leo nodded and looked up to Oliver, quickly recognising him for who he was and he hid behind Hermione and she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"A better go, a'll owl ye later?" Oliver asked. She nodded and then he left out the door, exiting the building and disappearing from her sight.

"You know Oliver Wood?" Leo asked amazed.

"Oh, she more than knows him," Fred said, walking over to them and kneeling down in front of Leo. He shifted behind Hermione slightly. "Can you keep a secret?" Fred whispered and Leo nodded shyly. "She's marrying him," he whispered and Leo's eyes widened and he looked up at Hermione who nodded. "But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay," he whispered back and Fred winked at him, before he stood and left to help another customer.

"Can you get me his autograph?" Leo asked Hermione.

"I can do you one better, I can introduce you to him," she said. His face lit up.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Oliver stepped out of the floo and quickly walked past the reception area, down the stands and into the coach's box.

"Wood! You’re late!" Coach Burton yelled.

Coach Ted Burton had been Puddlemere's coach for the last eight years, and he was strict but fair. Except when Quidditch season neared and then he was a downright pain in the arse. He was five-foot-eleven, had short black-greying hair, brown eyes, was tanned and in his mid forties.

"Sorry, Coach," Oliver said. "A was jus’ meetin’ me Ministry match," he explained, and at his words, the entire team turned their attention to him.

"Who is it?" Bishop asked. Kenny Bishop was a starting chaser. He was five-foot-ten, with dark brown hair that curled at the tips, brown eyes and pale skin.

"Yeah, what's her name?" Fisher spoke. Bobby Fisher was the reserve seeker. He was five-foot-ten, had black hair, blue eyes and he was tanned.

"Is she pretty?" Martin said. Ryan Martin was a reserve chaser. He was six-foot-one, with dark brown eyes, short black hair and dark skin.

"Do we know her?" McGee questioned. Michael McGee was a reserve chaser. He was five-foot-eleven, with cropped blonde hair, green eyes, freckles and he was tanned.

"When do we get to meet her?" Briggs asked excitedly. Carter Briggs was a reserve beater. He was six-foot-one, with cropped brown hair, brown eyes and copper skin.

"How old is she?" West spoke. Jonathon West was a reserve chaser. He was five-foot-ten, with red hair, brown eyes and pale skin.

"A’m not telling ye her name, ye won't meet her until she feels comfortable around mae, since this whole situation between us is awkward," he said with a glare.

Pallie scoffed. "You're Oliver Wood, of course she feels comfortable around you. I haven’t yet seen a witch that hasn’t thrown herself at you" he said. Jack Pallie was a starting chaser. The highest scoring chaser in the league and he was five-foot-eleven, had short dark brown hair, grey eyes and he was tanned.

"She's not like other girls," he said honestly, because she wasn't and even he knew that. She was _The_ Hermione Granger.

"So, you know her then?" Thompson asked. Grady Thompson was the starting seeker. He was six-foot, with shaggy brown hair, blue eyes and he was tanned.

"A know af her reputation. She was four years below mae in school."

"What do you mean by _reputation_?" Wilks asked carefully, not wanting to insinuate anything given that she was four years younger than him, meaning she was still a teenager. Tony Wilks was a starting beater. He was six-foot-three, had red hair, green eyes, he was tanned and had a slight Irish accent that had faded over the years.

"Academic," he said simply.

"So you’ve got yourself a bookworm? A smart one?" Malloy said smirking. Ben Malloy was a starting chaser. He was six-foot-two, had blonde shoulder length, shaggy hair, blue eyes, he was tanned and vain as hell. Not to mention, a massive pain in the arse.

 _'More like The Brightest Witch of the Age,'_ he thought smugly.

"Come on, tell us. Who’s the future Mrs. Wood?" Kelsy whined. Grantly Kelsy was five-foot-ten, he had blonde hair, green eyes and he was tanned and had an American accent.

"Naw, a’m not telling ye."

"So what's she like?" Fox asked intrigued. Peter Fox was the reserve keeper. He was six-foot-one, had black hair, brown eyes, freckles and pale skin.

He shrugged. "Only officially met her half an hour ago. Now, can we get back tae practice an’ not discussing me forced marriage?"

"Bookworm...Smart...Don't want to talk about her..." Kings listed off amused. Austin Kings was a starting beater. He was six-foot-three, had curly black hair, brown eyes and was tanned. "She's not very pretty, is she?" Oliver ignored him. "Ha, I knew it; looks like you're going to suffer, Mate," he laughed. "And to think you have to have children with her!"

Little did they know, Oliver was very smug in that moment and he couldn't wait for Hermione to meet the team. Their caked in makeup and fake wives and girlfriends didn't hold a candle to Hermione's natural beauty and intelligence. He couldn’t wait to rub it in their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 14

**Weasley's Wizards Wheezes - Wednesday 24th June 1998**

Like Oliver had promised, he owled Hermione later that night and made plans with her for the next night. He decided that in order for their marriage to work, they should probably date first and Hermione agreed; it would likely make things easier on them both if they got to know each other before they married.

Oliver had also secretly owled the twins and asked for advice about Hermione and where he should take her on their first date, since they knew her better than anyone, or so they informed him. After a few hours of indecision, he’d finally decided on a place that he thought Hermione would appreciate. He instructed her to wear comfortable clothing and that she should be ready by eight o'clock.

When the time arrived, he stepped out of the floo in the twins’ flat, dusting the soot from him blue jeans, blue button-down shirt and black jacket.

Fred and George were sat on the couch playing poker and Hermione was in her bedroom changing. They greeted Oliver with a tilt of their head and Oliver himself sat down and watched as they played their hands.

"What are ye doin’?" Oliver asked intrigued.

"Kicking Fred's arse at poker," George snorted and Fred scoffed.

"At what?"

"Poker, muggle card game, Hermione taught us," Fred shrugged.

At that point, Hermione stepped out of her room dressed and ready. She had her hair up in a messy bun, she was wearing black skinny jeans, white converse and an overly large grey hooded jumper and he chuckled at the sight.

"Hey, Oliver," she greeted as she crossed the room over to them.

"Hey, Are ye ready tae go?" He asked, standing.

"Yes, just give me a minute," she said, taking the cards out of Fred's hands. "Two," she said, throwing two cards down on the table. George gave her two cards from the deck and then sorted his own hand out.

"Ten flush," George said smugly, putting his cards down on the table for them all to see.

Hermione smirked and put her cards down, too. "Straight in diamonds," she spoke. George's arrogant look fell off his face, Fred laughed loudly and Oliver chuckled.

She kissed the twins on the cheek, ruffled their hair and then she followed Oliver over to the fireplace. She stepped in and he called out the address, throwing the floo powder into the grate.

"Do you think she'll like it?" George asked.

"It's Hermione," was his reply through a chuckle.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Manor**

Oliver stepped out of the floo and Hermione followed after him, absentmindedly brushing the soot off herself. He walked down a corridor before pushing open two large wooden doors and stepping outside.

It was still light outside given it was summer and there was a breeze in the air that tingled Hermione's skin. They walked in silence and he headed to a wooded area.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously.

"A owled the twins fer a bit af help an’ this is what a came up with. We're almost there," he answered, as they entered the woods and walked down a narrow pathway. After ten minutes of silently walking they finally reached their destination.

They stepped out of the woods and into a large grassy area with a large lake and the sun slowly beginning its descent sparkling against the water. A smile pulled at Hermione’s face. She loved the outdoors; it was the only thing she enjoyed when she’d been on the run.

Oliver noticed her reaction and the corner of his mouth twitched. If he’d have brought any other girl to the lake on a date –especially if it had been someone like his teammates’ partners- he could imagine them shouting and demanding that they be taken on a ‘real’ date and treated to the best food and wine possible. But not Hermione; Hermione, who was smiling softly as she lifted her face into the slowly setting sunlight, the warmth bathing her skin. She looked to be in her element, like he was when playing Quidditch or flying.

"Shall we?" He gestured with his hand that they move closer to the lake.

"Let’s," she grinned and he chuckled at her.

They both moved closer to the lake with Oliver stopping them not long before they reached the edge. He removed something from his pocket, placed it on the ground, and with his wand he resized the items. There was a large and comfortable looking red blanket and a wicker picnic basket.

They sat down opposite each other and Oliver removed a chicken sandwich and handed it to her and she took it gratefully and they both began eating.

"Where are we?" She asked, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"The grounds af Wood Manor," he replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders and she raised an eyebrow.

"You Purebloods and your manors," she said with a sigh and shake of her head, and he snorted at her.

"So a grew up in a manor in Scotland. Where did ye grow up?" He asked, hoping to break the ice and find a way to get the conversation between flowing.

"London, born and raised. We had a three bedroom house complete with a kitchen, living room, bathroom and office. It had a small garden with a driveway. It was simple and quiet," she said with a fond smile crossing her face. "It was just me and my parents, but they worked a lot so I spent a lot of time by myself. I don't have any siblings so I was always lonely. That's why I have a love for books; they were all I had to keep me company. What about you? Any siblings?"

"Naw, am an only child tae; except me ma didnae work when a was a child, so a was never alone. She always found somethin’ fer us tae do," he said and Hermione smiled. "So, ye an’ The Weasley Twins? A never saw tha’ coming," he said chuckling and she laughed at him.

"I don't think anyone did," she nodded.

"They told mae their side af the story, but a don' know yers."

"The Final Battle was over and I entered the great hall to see The Weasley's crowding around Fred who was laying lifeless on the floor. When I saw the slightly twitch in his throat, I checked to see if he was breathing and he was, but barely. George and I had a struggled since he tried to pull me away from Fred, but I was able to get free and find a pulse. Once I called the healers over, they verified that Fred was alive and they rushed him to hospital.”

 _'She saved his life,'_ he thought.

"For the next two weeks, I visited the hospital and stayed every night to keep George company and allow chance to sleep while I was watching over Fred. I made sure he was eating, sleeping and taken care of her, and during the day I spent my time fixing the twins’ shop and restocking their shelves. Due to this, George and I spent a lot of time together and we became close and I got to know Fred through George. When Fred woke up he and George asked me to move in with them. After a full day and night of rejecting them, I couldn't take it anymore and agreed, but only because they stole my belongings and locked me in their spare room and they wouldn't let me out until I’d unpacked everything. They even stole my wand," she sighed and he chuckled; it was definitely something he could see The Weasley Twins doing. "We’re pretty much inseparable now. We take care of each other and we look out for each other. I know that if I need them, they’ll be there for me. It's nice knowing that they’ll protect me even if I don't want them to. I've never had that before," she said, playing with her fingers as she looked down at the blanket.

"What aboot..." He didn't know if he should say their names or not.

"Harry and Ron? They left me. If they cared, truly cared, they would've either stayed or asked me if I wished to travel with them. They could've at least said goodbye in person and not left like cowards in the night. They’ve left me to deal with it all. They’re the reason I’m the number one target for revenge. They’re the reason I receive death threats. They’re the reason I can't leave the shop alone. Ron, I understand because he's an arsehole with the emotional range of tea spoon." Oliver couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him and she smiled slightly. "He’s always been mean to me and he never failed to insult me in some way. But Harry..." She sighed sadly, looking tired. "I stood by him for seven years and never once did I think of leaving. The things I've had to do for him, the things I've had to sacrifice for him... And I still can’t believe he abandoned me. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve suffered, been injured or almost died for him." She said quietly. His eyes widened and his mind filled with what that could possibly mean. He wanted to ask but he decided it could wait.

"To be honest, I'm glad I have Fred and George. They make me feel safe when Harry and Ron never did. I’m closer to Fred and George after a week of living together, than I was with Harry and Ron after seven years of friendship. Fred and George are my true best friends, my family. I don't think I’d be able to cope with all this pressure I have on me if I didn't have them to keep me afloat."

"Do ye think ye will fergive them if ye see them again?"

"I don't know,” she sighed, pushing a fallen curl back from her face and behind her ear. “Fred and George say that I forgive people far too easily. I might be able to forgive them, but I definitely won't forget and things won’t be the same." She looked up at him, seeing him looking at her with an expression on his face that she couldn’t decipher. "Right, that's enough of the depressing," she said and he snorted at her. "Let's do a quick fire round," she suggested.

"What's tha’?"

"Well, we basically ask each other questions and we have to answer as quickly as possible. We have a time frame, say two minutes?"

"Okay, let's do it," he nodded in agreement.

She pulled her wand from her sleeve and set a timer. "We both have to answer the question the other poses." He nodded in understanding. "Okay, you go first...And go."

"Favourite colour?" Oliver started.

"Don't have one; it changes depending on my mood. Right now, I’d say yellow," she replied, her eyes briefly looking up at the darkening sky.

"Navy blue,"

"Puddlemere?" She said amused, knowing navy blue to be one of the three colours of his team. He nodded, and she laughed, shaking her head. "Favourite game to play as a child?"

"Quidditch," he shrugged without having to think about it, and to be honest, Hermione had suspected that would be his answer.

"Hide and seek,"

"Favourite drink?" He asked.

"Milk,"

"Pumpkin juice," he answered.

"Tea or coffee?" Hermione asked, wondering which hot beverage he preferred with his breakfast, or just in general.

"Tea,"

"Tea,"

"Favourite sandwich filling?" He questioned,

"Chicken salad,"

"Turkey and stuffing," he said and Hermione grimaced. She hated stuffing and he chuckled at her reaction.

"White or brown bread?" She asked.

"White,"

"50/50," she answered. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled cheekily.

"Favourite seasons?"

"Summer and winter,"

"Summer and winter,"

"Favourite professor from Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"Flitwick,"

"Mine’s McGonagall,"

"Buns or bread?" Oliver asked.

"Depends what we're eating," she shrugged.

"Bread,"

"Favourite ghost?"

"Sir Nick," he answered.

"Peeves," she said without thought and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. They had a lot of answers to discuss after the game was up.

"What's your goal in life?" He asked.

"I’ve already achieved it." He cocked his head to the side, questioningly. "It was to survive the war; I suppose I’ll have to find something different now."

He frowned at her answer. "Tae win the league as Captain."

"What’s your patronus?" She asked curiously.

"A cannae cast one,"

"Otter...No sorry, lion," she said and he looked at her confused.

"What’s yer favourite spell invented?"

"Bat Bogey Hex," she laughed. He really had to find out what that hex was.

"Summoning Charm,"

"What’s your favourite item of clothing?"

"Pyjamas," he answered and it surprised her.

"The twins’ Quidditch jerseys, they’re so comfortable" she said sighing happily. He didn't know why, but he didn't like that answer.

"Apparition or port key?"

"Apparition short travel, port key long," she answered.

"Same," he nodded.

"What country or city you would like to visit?"

"Australia," he said and he saw a flicker of pain cross her face before it disappeared and he frowned.

"India,"

"Indoors or outdoors?" He asked, wondering if she was like him as he preferred to be outdoors.

"It depends on weather, but mainly outdoors."

"Mae tae,"

"Starter or dessert?" She asked.

"Dessert,"

"Dessert, every time," she sighed, just thinking about the chocolate cake the twins had bought for her from her favourite bakery, and it was currently waiting for her in the kitchen back at the flat.

"This one’s important. What’s yer favourite Quidditch team?"

"That’s easy, Chudley Cannons," she said with a straight face, until she burst out laughing at his look of wide-eyed disbelief.

She fell backwards landing on her back on the blanket and she had tears swimming in her eyes as she gripped at her aching ribs. He couldn't help but laugh at her. The timer on her wand had long since alerted them that the game was over and Hermione reached over and cancelled it, before sitting up and taking deep, calming breaths and wiping at her eyes with the sleeves of her jumper.

"I’m sorry, I couldn't resist, but you should’ve seen the look on your face." Her face had flushed light pink during her outburst of laughter and he chuckled at her, shaking his head slightly.

"What’s it really?"

"I don't have one."

At the look on his face she started laughing again and she fell backwards. He just shook his head, not being able to help it when he laughed along with her; her laughter was so pure and joyous and infectious.

"Puddlemere United," she said after calming down and sitting herself back up. "Better?"

"Much,” he nodded. “Why do ye like summer an’ winter?"

"I love being outdoors in the summer. I love the smell of freshly cut grass. I love being able to sprawl out on the grass in the sun while I read and I love feeling the sun warm my skin. I love going out on day trips in the summer and having picnics, going to the beach and eating ice cream, and the long days and bright mornings, and the being able to leave the house without a coat," she said with a soft smile on her face. A smile of his own pulled at his mouth. "I love the winter because it's the exact opposite of the summer. I love seeing the first snow flake fall. I love wrapping up warm in so many layers that I can't move and if I fall over I can't get back up." He laughed at her. "I love getting snow caught in my hair and I love making snow men and snow angels, and having a snowball war and kicking everyone's arse." He snorted at her smug, pleased expression. "I love watching snow fall from a window whilst drinking hot chocolate. And I love dressing in warm pyjamas and snuggling with a blanket in front of a roaring fire with a book."

He smiled at her. “What aboot Peeves?"

"I love him. He just terrorises people without a care in the world. And you have to admit he's creative and has style. He does what he wants without caring about what people think of him. Plus, he gave Umbridge hell. Anyone who hates Umbridge is okay in my book, she was a horrid woman and luckily for you, you never have the displeasure of meeting her." She took the butter beer he offered her with a smile of thanks.

"Why did ye get confused aboot yer patronus? When did ye learn tae cast it?"

"I was fifteen when I successfully cast my patronus for the first time." His eyes widened at that. "And I was confused as my patronus used to be an otter."

"Used tae be?"

"Yes, used to be,” she nodded. “Your patronus can change due to your emotional state or after something significant has occurred in your life. Like a war."

"So yers used tae be an otter? What did tha’ symbolise?" He asked intrigued; he’d heard that a patronus was the embodiment of a person, of their soul. It told you a lot about them and their character, about who they were as a person.

"Otters symbolise playfulness, joy, creativity, wisdom, friendship, protection and curiosity."

He had to admit it suited her. He’d only met her not even twenty-four hours ago and even he could see that it was a perfect fit for her.

"An’ now it’s?"

"It's now a lion. They symbolise courage, wisdom, power, being peaceful unless challenged, self-control, nobility, fairness, patience, protectiveness, being tactical and skilful, and having wit and balance," she said. The lion suited her just as well as the otter, he realised. "I suppose you can add Gryffindor to that list, too. I can teach you to cast a patronus if you want me to?"

"Ye can? It's really complex, isnae?"

"I can, as long as you're patient; it can take a while to perfect and it's not as difficult as you may believe."

"Well if ye think ye can teach mae then a leave meself in yer capable hands. So what’s this Bat Bogey Hex abo’dy keeps mentioning?"

Hermione’s mouth quirked into a smirk and it made him feel nervous, especially when she began fiddling with her wand.

"I can demonstrate if you’d like," she said, her tone soft and light.

"Err... Alright then," he said anxiously.

Hermione pointed her wand at him. " _Batius Bogium_ ," she said and when the spell hit him, Oliver stood up and began running around yelling profanities as he was attacked by flying snot bats. Hermione fell backwards laughing madly and with a flick of her wand she cancelled the spell. Oliver stormed back over and he glared down at her as she laughed madly.

"Sorry," she said, slowly coming down from her laughter. "But it was hilarious, you can use it to keep your teammates in line during training," she said. His glare dropped and he imagined himself using it to do as she suggested. He'd have to get her to teach him that spell, too.

The sun was beginning to set and Hermione turned around to face the lake and she laid down, Oliver watched her with a small smile before copying her movements and lying down beside her. They watched silently as the sun set and the night sky appeared, giving Hermione a perfect view of the stars.

"Are ye ever gunna tell mae aboot yer life? Fred an’ George were very vague."

"Not yet," she replied quietly.

"But ye will?"

"When I'm ready for someone else to know, I'll tell you everything," she promised softly.

He nodded and looked back to the sky.

"How are you with heights?" She asked Oliver thoughtfully.

"A'm a Professional Quidditch player, a’m fine," he chuckled.

"Then how are you with high speeds?" She turned her head to look at him and he did the same so he was looking at her.

"A think a'm okay," he said, trying to figure out why she was asking him random questions.

"And how are you with loud noises and keeping the contents of your stomach, in your stomach and not on the floor?"

"A think a'm fine. Why?"

"I want to introduce you to some place special, that's all," she shrugged.

"What place?" He questioned.

"Now, why would I tell you? It's more fun to keep you guessing," she said chuckling at his scowl.

"Oh come on, ye have tae tell mae," he all but whined.

"Nope, how many days do you train?"

"Six days a week; Monday till Saturday. Ten till around one, an’ then twa till aboot six. It depends on hoo much we get through an’ Coach's mood. We get Sundays aff."

"Do you want to go somewhere with me on Sunday then?"

"Is it relevant tae the questions ye asked mae?"

"Very," she nodded.

"Alright then, but the suspense is gunna kill mae."

"You'll be fine. We’ll say about nine in the morning. The earlier we get there, the better it is for us."

"Fine with me, where are we going?"

"Muggle World," she answered.

"Where in the Muggle World?" He asked curiously; he’d never been to the Muggle World before.

"England," she said cryptically and he scowled at her. "Have you been to the Muggle World before?"

"Naw, a havnae," he shook his head.

"Then you’ll love your first visit, especially where I'm taking you." They looked back up to the star filled sky. "So why did you bring me here?" She asked him curiously.

"A talked tae the twins, they said ye hated fancy restaurants. Plus, the public would see us an’ then it would be an ambush an’ not a date. Here we have privacy withoot the risk as someone spotting us an’ selling the information tae the press."

"Understandable,” she nodded. “And the twins are right. I like the simple things; I’ll take a picnic over a five star restaurant any day of the week. Instead of caviar, I'd rather have a fish finger sandwich, instead of lobster, I'd rather have a burger and instead of crème brulee, I'd rather have a chocolate biscuit."

He laughed at her. "What are fish finger sandwiches an’ burgers?" He asked confused.

"Oh, come on, you haven’t lived until you've had a fish finger sandwich and a burger. Just you wait; it’ll change your life."

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Oliver floo’d into the twins’ flat just after midnight and carrying a slumbering Hermione in his arms. She’d fallen asleep not long before he planned to take her home and he didn't have the heart to wake her, given he knew she didn't get much sleep. He was greeted by Fred as walked out of his bedroom and over to them, chuckling at Hermione’s sleeping form.

"So, how did it go?" Fred asked.

"Yer right, definitely different from other lasses," Oliver replied and Fred chuckled. "She hexed me," he scowled.

Fred laughed. "You asked her what the Bat Bogey Hex was, didn't you?"

"Aye, a did."

"Sucker,” Fred smirked. “George, Charlie and I have all fallen for that one. Rookie mistake," he chuckled. "When are you next seeing her?"

"Friday, an’ then she's taking mae tae the Muggle World on Sunday. She asked mae some strange questions but won't tell mae why."

"Well then I know you're in for a treat. Hermione’s very creative."

"She's planning tae feed mae a lot af muggle food. Should a be worried?" Oliver asked.

"No,” Fred shook his head. “Let her, their food’s amazing. The Wizarding World’s missing out. We go food shopping in the Muggle Word every week, better food, more options to choose from and lower prices."

"Speaking af food, are ye sure she's putting on weight?" Oliver asked, looking down at the sleep woman in his arms. "She's far tae light."

"Oh, sorry about that," Fred said, taking Hermione from him and she sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oliver looked down at his empty arms before shaking his head. "She's definitely putting on weight, but like I said, it's a slow process and it's not her fault. What did she eat?"

"She had a couple af sandwiches, an apple, some carrot sticks an’ a couple pieces af cheese."

"She did well, definitely eating more. I better put her to bed; she opens the shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"A better go anyway, let her know a'll owl her?" Oliver said.

Fred nodded and then Oliver took one last look at Hermione's sleeping form before flooing home.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

He stepped out of the floo into his apartment and headed straight to his bedroom where he readied for bed. He laid in his bed trying to get some sleep, but Hermione was playing on his mind.

She was definitely different from other witches. She hexed him for Merlin's sake...Although he did technically ask her to.

He‘d learned a lot about her in the four hours they’d spent together, and he was certain he hadn't even scratched the surface with her. He wanted to know what she meant when she said she had sacrificed a lot for Harry. When she’d been injured and almost died? What had happened when she was tortured? Why did she look so hurt when he’d mentioned wanting to visit Australia? Why should he wait to ask her about her parents?

He listed the qualities he’d witnessed in her in his head. She was intelligent, The Brightest Witch. She was naturally beautiful and good with children from what he’d witnessed with Leo when at the twins’ shop. He knew her to be kind and selfless, and she was handy with a wand. She was witty and funny. She was a mystery. He’d come to realise that he was jealous when she’d mentioned wearing the twins’ Quidditch jerseys and he actually kind of liked having her asleep in his arms.

He _liked_ Hermione Granger. And it had been less than a week.

 _'Maybe we can get this marriage thing tae work,'_ he mused.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Sunday 28th June, 1998**

Hermione finished dressing and she looked at herself in the mirror, checking over her appearance. She was wearing comfortable clothing that she could move in and that she didn't mind getting wet and dirty. She was wearing black high waisted shorts with a white spaghetti strap top and a long sleeved pale pink and yellow checkered shirt, which she wore open and she had charmed her converse pink. She threw her hair up into a messy bun and made sure she had her beaded bag and she put muggle money into it along with a jacket for later.

Being happy with herself, she headed to the kitchen and began making breakfast for the twins. The shop was closed on Sundays so the boys slept in and she would leave the food on the table for them with Stasis Charms over them.

As she was stood making breakfast she allowed her mind to wander on her previous dates with Oliver. On Friday he had taken her to another part of the grounds on Wood Manor; to a meadow filled with different types of flowers and plant life, both magical and muggle and it was beautiful. They wandered through the long grass and flowers, laughing and talking; learning more about each other and becoming comfortable with one another.

Hermione had noticed a lot about Oliver in the short time she’d known him. He was obviously very handsome and he was passionate about Quidditch. He was smarter than she’d originally thought he might be and they’d argued about facts she had learned in _Hogwarts a History,_ and seeing as she knew the book inside and out, she’d won each argument leaving Oliver scowling and her smug. He was funny and he had a sense of humour, which would be needed when being married to her, and as a result, being tied to The Weasleys through her, especially the twins. He was just as famous as she was and he didn't let it affect him; he was humble and he handled the press well and she appreciated the fact that he knew how to handle the pressure and the press, especially since it would be needed when people found out about their soon to be marriage.

Thinking about him she realised something.

She _liked_ Oliver Wood. It had been less than a week, they’d only been on two dates and she liked him.

She was finishing up cooking the bacon when she heard the floo roar to life. "Granger?" She heard Oliver say.

"I’m in the kitchen," she called out softly, hearing his footsteps on the ground until he entered the kitchen. Hermione turned around and smiled at him and she turned back to the oven with a blush on her cheeks.

Oliver was wearing blue jeans, white trainers, a white form fitting short sleeved t-shirt that moulded to his frame and he was carrying a black jacket in his hand. His hair fell into his eyes and was the perfect combination of neat and ruffled. When Oliver caught Hermione's blush he looked down at himself and a smirk pulled at his mouth.

 _'So a do affect her, good tae know,'_ he thought smugly.

He wasn't sure if she was attracted to him since she didn't throw herself at him or simper whenever he was nearby. She treated him like a normal person and it had him worried since he knew he liked her. And that feeling had been cemented after their second date, which went just as perfect as their first date had. He was nervous for this date; Hermione had planned it and he didn't know any of the details. All he knew was that it was in the Muggle World and he had never been there before, so naturally he was nervous to be taken out of his comfort zone, but according to the twins, whatever Hermione had planned would be worth the trip out.

He sat down at the table still feeling smug. "So, hoo do a look?" He couldn't help but ask with a smirk.

"Like a muggle, you'll fit in perfectly," she complimented with a smile and he puffed his chest out at the tone of pride in her voice.

When she began putting the food onto the plates he took in her appearance. He cocked his head to the side and stared at her tanned and shapely legs as she used the toe of her shoe to scratch the back of her other leg. Even though she was a good eight inches shorter than him, her legs seemed to go on forever. He noticed that she always looked good, whether it be wearing an oversized hooded jumper or her work robes. Her hair was the perfect combination of messy and just right and her fashion sense wasn’t bad either, even though he could tell she was wearing muggle clothing and he couldn't blame her. Despite her being a Muggleborn, they were also far comfier and less stuffy than wizard made clothing.

He knew she would shake things up with the Quidditch wives and girlfriends, who always wore horrendously tight, revealing and expensive clothing, whereas Hermione looked comfortable and smart casual. But one thing he had noticed was that she always covered her arms and it had him curious as to what she was hiding.

"So, what's on the agenda?" He asked.

"Nice try," she chuckled, placing Stasis Charms over the food. "But it's a surprise." He scowled at her. "Have you eaten?"

"Aye, a have," he nodded.

"You didn't eat anything too heavy did you? I'm going to throw you in the deep end when we get there"

"Get where?"

"I’m still not telling you. You don't mind getting wet do you?" He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "What about allergies? You're not allergic to anything are you?"

"Naw, not tha’ a’m aware af. Are ye?" He asked curiously, as she put the plates on the table along with the extra plate of bacon, Fred's coffee and George's tea, and he looked at the food on the plates strangely.

"I'm allergic to nuts and coconut," she said with a tone of sadness. "Shame really, I used love coconut milk."

She shook her head and the then she sat down at the table and waved her wand, summoning a muggle note book and pen.Oliver looked at the lined parchment that wasn't parchment and the weird quill in her hand.

"What's tha’?" He asked confused and Hermione chuckled.

"Muggle note book and pen, they’re so much easier to write with. Muggle pens are a lot smoother to write with, they don't require you to dip them in ink since they have it stored inside of them and they don't break as easily," she said shrugging.

"An’ what is tha’?" He asked gesturing to the twins’ breakfast.

"Sweet waffles with maple syrup, banana pancakes and bacon," she answered.

"Why is there bacon with sweet foods?"

Hermione laughed. "The twins swear that they can't survive without bacon, so I always make a side plate of bacon every morning. I make them different breakfast foods each day so they don't get bored and they'll have bacon with it no matter what I cook," she told him as the pen scratched away at the notebook.

_Boys,_

_I’ve gone to the Muggle World with Oliver. I don't know what time we'll be back, but I might not make it in time for dinner._

_Don't get into too much trouble and tell your mum that I’m sorry if I miss dinner._

_-H_

She finished writing her note and put her pen down. Oliver caught sight of the note and he wasn't surprised to see that her handwriting was elegant and it flowed across the page beautifully.

"Right, I'm ready, are you?"

"Aye, Let's go," he nodded.

Hermione stood from the table and walked into the living room and he followed her.

"Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously, and she smirked and held out her hand in offering. He reluctantly took a hold of it and he took note of the way her hand fit perfectly into his.

Hermione pulled her wand and apparated them away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 23

**Yorkshire: Flamingo Land - Sunday 28th June 1998**

"Sorry," Hermione apologised sheepishly as they both landed on their feet, and she noticed that he looked a little paler than usual. "I suppose I should’ve warned you before apparating."

"Am fine," he waved off her words.

"Alright then, so, no magic, no wand and no magical terms whilst we’re here," she warned him. "Do you want to put your coat in my bag?" she asked him, seeing him looking down at her beaded bag sceptically, before she slipped her own wand inside, her hand disappearing down to her wrist.

"Hoo?" He asked in surprise.

"Undetectable Extension Charm," she answered. He felt his eyebrows rise; that charm had the same difficultly level as a Patronus. "I used this during the war, inside is everything I need to survive in the wilderness. I know I should probably clean out the contents but I can’t bring myself to do it. Everything’s still a little too fresh and it never hurts to be prepared for anything," she explained.

She held her hand out and after removing the muggle money he’d gotten changed over at Gringotts the previous day and placing it into his pocket, Hermione took his coat and wand from him, putting them inside her bag for safekeeping.

"Are you ready?" She asked him, an excited grin making its way onto her face and he snorted at her. 

"Aye, let’s see what yer’ve gotten mae intae," he replied.

Hermione stepped out from behind a cluster of trees and Oliver followed after her, his eyes widening at the amount of strange-looking parked vehicles and the long queues of people. Hermione walked straight past them, not paying attention to the looks she received from those waiting in line.

"What’s Flamingo Land?" He asked her, looking up at the large sign ahead of them.

"A theme park,"

"A what?"

"Oliver, I’m about to introduce you to the wonders of the Muggle World," she replied, looking over her shoulder as she approached a small booth that was separate the queues of people and she knocked on the window.

"Sammy?" Hermione called, and a few moments later the window slid open, revealing a dusty blonde with green eyes and she looked to be in her mid-thirties.

The woman smiled at Hermione and she leaned over to hug Hermione. “Hey, Hermione, it’s been a while.”

"It has, thank you for doing this again."

"It's no problem, besides, I can't say no to the girl who saved the world," she said. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes at the grinning blonde and Oliver felt his eyes widen. She knew?

"Very funny," Hermione muttered as she handed over the correct amount of money to cover their admission free, and she received the tickets, a brochure and a map in return.

"Is this your first time in the Muggle World?" Sammy asked Oliver and he nodded in response. "Well, you're in for a treat,” she told him, before turning back to Hermione. "You better get in quickly, the park’s about to officially open and the queues will be murder" she warned and Hermione chuckled.

"Thank you again, I owe you," Hermione said after purchasing several queue jumpers.

"No, you don't," Sammy said as she leaned out the window and pushed Hermione towards the gate. “Have fun!” She called after them, and Hermione walked through the gate after scanning her ticket and Oliver mimicked her actions.

"Hoo does she know aboot the Wizarding World an’ the war?" He asked confused.

"Sammy's a squib. She used to live on the same street as me," she shrugged her shoulders.

He opened his mouth to speak but he was soon distracted as he took in the sight of all the shops, arcades, game booths, rides and roller coasters, the loud sounds that filled his ears and the smell of cooking food.

"Welcome to the Muggle World," Hermione smiled and she walked forward, looking down at the map. Once he’d shook off his surprise, he had to jog to catch up to her.

"This place is amazing," he said.

“You haven't seen anything yet,” she promised. “Now, I think we should just get it over with and throw you in the deep end. This way," she said, looking up from navigating the map and walking in the right direction.

They walked the short distance with them chatting comfortably and Hermione answering Oliver’s many questions as best she could before they reached their first stop of the day.

"This is it," she informed him, stopping in front of a large roller coaster called 'Magnum Force'. "This is going to be your first roller coaster. We’ll be one hundred and eleven feet in the air and travelling at speeds of fifty-three miles per hour, whilst doing loop the loops and going around the track," she spoke, looking down at the information on the roller coaster in the brochure she’d been given. "Do you think you can handle it?" She asked him.

He scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest confidently. "Am a professional Quidditch player. A make me livin’ playin’ twa hundred feet above ground level," he replied.

Hermione felt her mouth twitching into a smirk; he had no idea what he was in for and he was about to get the shock of his life.

"Let's go then," she said, gesturing that they move forward.

Together they made their way up the ramps until they stood at a locked gate and they waited. They’d only been there a total of five minutes when the crowd began filing in and lining up behind them.

"There’s a lot af people here," Oliver commented, looking behind him.

"That's why I asked Sammy for help getting in and I bought the queue jumpers. They allow you to go straight to the front of the queue instead of waiting in line. Some rides have a waiting time of over an hour and by that time, you hardly get to do anything before you have to leave," she said shrugging.

They waited another five minutes and the ride operator finally opened the gate and allowed them access to the cars. Hermione was quick to claim the front car, jumping in before anyone else even had a chance to and Hermione chuckled at her excitement. He climbed in beside her and after buckling her own belt; she showed him how to correctly buckle his own before they waited for the ride operator to check their belts.

"Are ye sure this is safe?" He asked her, unable to hide his unease.

"Yes, it’s perfectly safe and there are plenty of security measures in place,” she assured him. “If you're scared I can always hold your hand," she teased, her mouth twitching at the corners.

As much as he wanted to feel her hand in his again, he rejected her offer as to preserve his masculinity and she laughed knowingly. The ride operator finally reached them and he checked their belts and put the safety bar down and Hermione draped her arms over it lazily.

He chuckled when he noticed Oliver's uneasy expression. "You alright, Mate?" He asked and Oliver nodded in reply.

"First time on a rollercoaster," Hermione explained and the ride operator laughed.

"Well, you're in for a treat, especially with someone as beautiful as this young lady here looking after you," he winked at Hermione.

She blushed and looked away embarrassed and Oliver scowled at the ride operator. He couldn't believe he was flirting with Hermione right in front of him.

"Are you ready?" She asked as the operator made his way back to the booth.

"It can't be that bad,"

Hermione laughed at him, shaking her head. "Here we go," she warned. Her eyes were wide with excitement and she practically bounced in her seat.

The countdown began and before Oliver knew what was happening, the cars shot off like a rocket as they travelled around the track. He yelled loudly and he could hear others screaming from behind him, and Hermione's joyous laughter next to him. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of her, she had her hands up in the air and was laughing and shouting loudly. One look at her and he felt himself growing more comfortable. Mimicking her, he raised his hands in the air and laughed and yelled, and before he knew it, they had reached the platform and the safety bar released. Hermione undid her buckle and Oliver followed her lead and they stepped out of the car. Oliver wobbled slightly and Hermione laughed as she reached out to help steady him.

"How do you feel?" She asked with flushed cheeks and smiling widely.

"A'm good. Tha’ was...” He trailed off, unable to find the word to describe the experience.

She beamed at him knowingly as they made their way back down the ramps. “You’re not going to be sick, are you?"

"Naw, a'm fine, but a understand why ye asked mae all those questions," he said, bringing his hand up to his hair in attempt to make him more presentable after the wind had messed it up.

"Do you want to go on another ride?" She asked and he was quick to nod his approval.

She pulled the map from her beaded bag before walking away and he followed after her, trying to stop his head from spinning. He couldn't believe how brilliant muggles were to be able to create such a thing without the use of magic. The Wizarding World didn't have anything like that; the most fun thing they had was Quidditch.

"You were screaming pretty loudly," Hermione teased, spinning around and walking backwards as she faced him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"A was showing me appreciation."

Hermione laughed at him. "So you weren't scared?"

"Naw, a was jus’ acting, tryin’ tae be a gentleman an’ make ye feel better aboot bein’ scared."

“I believe you," she hummed, but the tone of her voice suggested that she hadn’t believed a word he’d said and he chuckled at her. "You know, it's okay to be scared," she said and he stopped in his steps and narrowed his eyes at her.

"A wisnae scared," he denied.

"Were, too"

"Not,"

"Too," she sang.

His eyes narrowed further before he suddenly lunged forwards, she squeaked in surprise before turned and darted away from him as he chased after her, the crowds of people parting for them, some of them with annoyance and other amusement.

Hermione ducked behind a game booth and Oliver stopped in his steps, his eyes darting about in search for her until she crept up behind him, startling him when she reached out to touch him and he yelped in surprise. He turned her face her, a slight scowl on his face as she laughed, gripping at her sides.

"Yer surprisingly fast fer someone so small,"

"Oi! I’m not small, I’m average height" she said, pointing a finger at him threateningly and he snorted her. "Oh, we're here," she said, turning to her right and looking at the sign 'The Bullet'. "This one is one hundred and thirty-one feet high and travels at speeds of fifty miles per hour," she read off from the brochure.

"Okay, let's go," he said, feeling more confident that he had been previously.

Hermione smiled before leading the way over to the booth for the queue jumpers. Once she’d handed over the tickets and the cars returned to the platform, they climbed on, once more choosing the front car. They buckled their belts and waited for the ride operator to put the safety bar down.

"This one not only does a loop but we go backwards, too," she said excitedly and he chuckled at her.

The countdown began and the ride shot off, Hermione laughing with her hands in the air and Oliver yelling until he composed himself and mimicked her. They went around the track, through the loop and up the vertical track, before the car rolled back and went over the track and loop backwards, and soon after they climbed off and made their way to another ride.

"You screamed," she teased him again.

"It's not me fault tha’ it suddenly takes aff, it takes mae by surprise," he argued and she laughed at him.

"That's what the countdown’s for," she sang, and he scowled at her as she continued to tease him.

~000~000~000~

They had been on the Tidal Wave, Thunder Mountain, Top Gun and The Corkscrew and before they knew it, it was lunchtime and their stomachs made their hunger known.

"Do you want to take a break and get some lunch, and allow your heart to get out of your stomach?" She said amused and he snorted at her.

"Aye, a suppose it’s time a see this muggle food af yers."

Hermione led them over to one of the food huts and she bought them their lunch and they walked towards the zoo section. Hermione looked around before removing a blanket from her bag and putting it on a large patch of grass near the baboons' open enclosure and they sat down themselves down, getting comfortable.

"What is this?" Oliver asked looking at the food in his takeaway box.

"A cheeseburger. It's basically beef with cheese on top and tomato sauce inside a bread bun," she said, picking up her own burger and taking a bite. He watched her before copying her movements, picking up his burger with two hands and taking a reluctant bite and she laughed when his eyes widened at the taste.

"Good?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "What's this?" Oliver asked picking up a bottle of coca cola.

"A muggle beverage. It's exactly like pumpkin juice; except it's fizzy, not orange and not made of pumpkins."

"So it's nothin’ like pumpkin juice?" He said amused.

"Exactly,” she nodded and he snorted at her.

They chatted comfortably whilst they ate their food and once they’d finished, Hermione laid down on her back and looked up at the sky with Oliver doing the same and laying down beside her.

"A have tae admit, this place is amazing," he said.

"A don’t understand why the Wizarding World is so afraid of muggles. A don’t understand how and why people think they’re uncivilised, uneducated barbarians, or how they even came to form those opinions. What are they based on? Most of the wizarding population hasn’t set foot here," she spoke. "I may be a bit biased, but I think muggles are incredible. They’ve survived thousands of years without magic, hell; muggles existed long _before_ magic did. They’ve built places like this all over the world to entertain people and make them laugh. They’ve built aeroplanes that allow people to travel around the world, they’ve built kitchen appliances that allow you to store and cook food without spells. They have electricity and light bulbs, as a substitute for using spells and fire. I don't and can’t understand why people grow up hating Muggleborns, being taught to treat us as though we’re not good enough, as though we’re nothing, something that is less than human." Her eyes strayed down to her covered left arm and he followed her gaze curiously.

"What are ye looking at?"

"Nothing," she said, too quickly to be believable and he frowned. She was hiding something from him, but he would let it go for now.

"A don' agree with the way ye were treated. Blood supremacists believe tha’ ye steal our magic an’ tha's why our magic may be weaker than others an’ Squibs are born. A don' believe tha’, but a do know tha’ Muggleborns are born with a gift fer whatever reason an’ they deserve tae be treated as any other witch or wizard. They deserve the right tae practice magic, tae learn an’ grow an’ they should never be made tae feel unwelcome in a world they are born tae," he said sincerely.

Hermione turned her head to the side so she was facing him and she gave him a soft smile, her eyes pooling with warmth and affection. Oliver decided that he always wanted her to look at him like that.

"I know,” she told him. “I know why Muggleborns and Squibs exist."

"Ye do?" He said, sounding surprised.

"Hmm,” she hummed. “Do you want me to tell you?"

"Impart on mae yer wisdom, oh Brightest With of the Age," he said dramatically and she snorted at him.

"Contrary to belief, we don't steal our magic, we are born with it due to it being in our bloodline, it's just dormant." A confused look crossed his face. "We either have a witch, a wizard or a Squib in our ancestry, but when they’ve had children, the magical gene is passed on to the children, however, it may stay dormant as it’s not strong enough to present itself. The gene is continuously passed on until the magic _is_ strong enough and then it presents itself in the child and a witch or wizard is born. A Muggleborn, to be more precise."

"So yer sayin’ tha’ Muggleborns have magical ancestors, but the gene fer magic is weak so it doesn't present itself in the child, it stays dormant until it is strong enough to dominate yer blood," Oliver spoke with a slight frown.

"Yes, we don't steal our magic, it’s in our bloodline just as it is everyone else’s," she nodded.

"Tha’ actually makes a lot af sense," he commented. “A dunno hoo a never put the pieces tagether befere, it’s so simple a cannae understand hoo no one has picked up on it.”

"Professor McGonagall helped me trace my ancestry whilst I was in my sixth year. We discovered I have a Squib Grandmother on my father's side eight generations back, and a Squib Grandmother on my mother's side five generations back. Now, imagine eight generations of magic that haven't been born. That's essentially eight generations of Squibs. That magic’s just sitting there unused and building, growing...”

"Until ye were born," he said in understanding. "Tha'll be why yer so powerful."

"How do you know I'm powerful?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"ev'rybody knows yer a powerful witch, Granger," he rolled his eyes. "Ye put the fear af Merlin in some people," he sounded amused.

"Well, anyway, because I have that amount of suppressed magic inside of me, I have a strong magical core which means that any future generations of witches and wizards that are born from me are likely to be powerful, too, regardless of whether I marry a wizard or muggle."

"So yer children will be powerful?"

"Yes, maybe even more so than me."

"Alright, why are Squibs born?"

"Simple, inbreeding; most Purebloods marry cousins to keep their bloodlines ‘pure’, and this results in you all being related in some way," she said and he nodded. "When that happens, the DNA that is passed onto the child from the parents will be limited because you’re not branching out of your family tree. That means that your DNA doesn't have room to evolve and grow healthily and so instead it mutates, causing medical, psychological and physical deformities, disabilities and conditions. It also weakens the child's magical core so when they’re born, the magic is barely there. If Purebloods continue doing this, the DNA will continue to mutate and magic won't be able to branch out into new bloodlines."

"Which means tha’ magic will die out," he spoke quietly, understanding hitting him like a ton of bricks. He’d never understood why Squibs were born or why some wizarding folk's magic was stronger than others, but Hermione had made him understand it perfectly.

"I suspect that's why they’re pairing Purebloods with Half-bloods and Muggleborn. Our bloodline and magic isn't diluted as we have a wider and healthier family tree. By mixing your blood and magic with mine, we will be effectively purifying our magic for future generations. There will be a lot fewer Squibs, a lot less magical weakness and deformities and health issues, and blood supremacy will have no room for existence. There will be no reason for war based on blood status; the Wizarding World will have a population of half-bloods and Muggleborns. Magic will be saved and it won't die out," she said thoughtfully. "Although, I suppose you could argue that there will be Purebloods once again."

"Hoo so?"

"Well, one of the definitions of a Pureblood is that you’re able to trace their bloodline to having magical ancestors that span centuries prior."

"Okay?"

"So, in a couple of hundred years, everyone will be able to trace their magic back to now."

"Therefore Purebloods will exist again," he said in understanding. “ev'rybody will be Purebloods, they’ll jus’ have muggle lineage, too.”

“Exactly,” she smiled at him warmly.

"But won't magic die out if that happens?"

"No, the DNA and bloodlines will have branched out for hundreds of years, making it widespread so inbreeding and mutated DNA will be less likely. If wizarding folk marry muggles, they’re also increasing the population and bringing more magic into the world, and it will be beneficial since the muggle population is almost triple the population for wizarding folk."

"Ye really are the Brightest Witch," he said softly.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I doubt it, I'm sure there's plenty of witches smarter than me," she said and he shook his head, silently laughing at her.

"Why dinnae ye learn aboot magic until ye were eleven if it’s in yer ancestry?" He asked her.

"I can trace my magic back to at least eight generations of Squibs and that means they grow up without magic and marry muggles. If my Grandmother from eight generations ago didn't tell my Grandfather and her children about magic, the tale couldn't be passed onto the next generation."

"An’ by the time ye were born neither af yer parents knew tha’ magic existed, let alone tha’ it’s in yer bloodline," Oliver nodded.

"Exactly, my mother was a Squib as was my father," Hermione spoke before they fell into a comfortable silence and she turned her eyes back to the sky, looking up at the clouds.

"So, can a ask ye a question?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, but it doesn't mean I'll answer," she replied and he snorted at her.

"Academics are important tae ye, so why aren't ye returning tae Hogwarts this year? Why aren't ye goin’ back fer yer NEWTs?"

He was curious to see if she would answer him, since the last time he had asked her she’d changed the subject. He turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow and supported his head with his hand as he looked down at her.

"To be honest, it wouldn't be the same. After seeing the damage done, all the deaths and the injuries, after all the suffering I went through over the years; it’s tainted it for me. The magic and beauty I saw in Hogwarts whilst on the boat ride my first year, it’s no longer there for me. Hogwarts was supposed to be my home, my safety, yet I suffered the most there due to the experiences I was forced to face. And I may have been able to return if it weren’t for the fact I know that several of those in my year won’t be returning either because they’d died. I know the fifth years and below will be fine, but the rest will know the sacrifices that were made."

He could understand her reasoning; he’d been at the Final Battle and he’d seen the aftermath and he left as soon as he could. He’d caught glimpses of Hermione running through the corridors and across the battlefield as she threw spells in every direction to help those that were struggling. He’d caught sight of her duelling two Death Eaters at once, helping students that had gotten lost on the way to the dungeons, and fighting back to back with other Order members.

She’d even sent a Stunner to a Death Eater that had tried to attack him from behind. He’d been in a duel with a Death Eater when he suddenly heard a thud, and after getting the upper hand and tying the Death Eater up with an _Incarcerous_ , he’d turned to look behind him, surprised to see a second Death Eater on the ground and unconscious. When he’d looked up it was to see Hermione’s retreating back as she ran towards another Order member. Hermione Granger had saved his life. He doubted she’d even noticed whose life she had saved in the chaos, but she had still saved his life. That was one of the reasons he wasn't so opposed to getting her as a match when he’d first read her name on his letter from The Ministry.

"As for my NEWTs, I’m taking them out of school. Kingsley and Professor McGonagall have arranged for me to complete them at The Ministry in January.”

"Anything else?" He asked, sensing that she was holding something back.

"Academics aren't as important to me as people believe they are," she admitted.

He didn’t know how his jaw didn’t hit the floor in surprise. "Whenever a saw ye ‘round the castle ye always had yer nose stuck in a book an’ I remember some af the seventh years complaining tha’ ye had beaten them fer the best academic grades in the entire school.”

“I did," she shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal and he chuckled. "I was that way because I had to be, it was expected of me. I was a Muggleborn coming into a world I had only learned about two weeks prior to starting school; I was at a disadvantage to everyone else. I didn't want to be left behind; I didn't want to be a freak, like I was in my muggle school. And then Malfoy called me a ‘Mudblood’..."

Oliver flinched at the reminder. He’d been there that day and he still couldn't believe the word had left the arrogant blonde’s mouth.

"I had to prove I was just as good as him, regardless of blood, so I studied as much as I was able to. A few years later it was required of me to just know everything. Harry and Ron were always getting into trouble, we never had a quiet and normal school year and we were always in danger. I had to know everything and learn everything I could in case we needed it to help us survive. They relied on me and they put that pressure on me; I was the line between life and death and they weren't going to study, so it became my responsibility.” He frowned at her words, she never should’ve been treated in such a way but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now, it was in the past. "After my first year, my parents discovered what happened and they tried to pull me out of Hogwarts, they wanted me to return to muggle schooling and live a life without magic."

"Really?" He asked, sounding horrified.

"Yes,” she sighed. “Thankfully, Dumbledore was able to persuade them otherwise and they allowed me to stay in the Wizarding World, but they expected me to get perfect grades, which meant that I had to study all the time. I didn't have time for fun and laughter. My life revolved around appeasing my parents and keeping Harry and Ron alive. They changed though, my parents I mean."

"Hoo so?"

"They changed when we discovered the truth about my being a witch. They became more distant with me, they didn’t let me talk about Hogwarts, magic or the Wizarding World when I was home from school. In our house it was taboo."

He felt him frowning in anger and disbelief. They stopped her from being who she was born to be.

"It wasn't their fault,” she defended after seeing the look on his face. “They didn't understand magic so they did the only thing they could, they stopped me from talking about it and they unintentionally distanced themselves from me. I know they didn’t mean to, it was just hard for them. They couldn’t be involved in my life the way other parents could be, they were isolated from the Wizarding World and my magical life."

"What happened between ye an’ yer parents?" He asked softly, knowing it was touchy subject with her, but he didn’t want to push his luck. She was telling him a lot about her life, he knew there was far more to learn, but he was too curious not to ask.

"Not yet," she said sadly with her eyes closed. "I'm not ready to tell you yet."

"But ye will tell mae?"

"When I’m ready I'll tell you," she promised, and his mouth pulled into a small smile.

He watched her silently as the sun bathed her frame, her skin seeming to glow and her hair shining in its rays, showcasing several different shades of colour. She looked beautiful, completely relaxed in her surroundings with her eyes closed and her hair spread out on the blanket like a halo of curls. The more he learned, the more he wanted to know, and he knew that despite her protests, being married to her wouldn’t actually be that bad; he was sure it would be interesting and he’d never be bored, she’d keep him on his toes. 

"Do you want to go for a walk around the zoo?" She asked him.

"Aye, let's go see an’ these strange muggle animals af yers," he replied.

She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her with a soft expression on his face and she felt her cheeks heat up. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said amused and he sat up and pulled himself to his feet. Hermione slowly breathed out, not having realised she’d been holding her breath. She could've sworn he looked as though he were about to kiss her. Did she want him to? Would she let him?

Shaking her head, she quickly climbed to her feet and shoved the blanket back into her beaded bag without anyone noticing, before she picked up their empty food boxes and deposited them in a bin.

"I have something for you," she spoke and he raised an eyebrow as she dug around in her beaded bag and with a victorious look on her face, she pulled out a camera. He took it from her, chuckling. "It's a wizarding camera; I've placed an Illusion Charm on it so it appears muggle," she explained, as they slowly started on their journey.

They walked around the zoo, chatting comfortable, taking in the sights of the animals and with Oliver taking photos than she could keep up with. In the time they’d been walking they’d already seen the majority of the animals, Oliver being particularly interested in the penguins, lemurs and the aquarium, seeing animals he’d never heard of before. By the time they reached the lions and tigers they came to a large open wooden door.

"What's in there?" Oliver asked, gesturing by tipping his head towards it.

"Are you sure you don't mind getting wet?" She asked.

He felt his eyebrow rise questioningly and she wrapped her small hand around his wrist and dragged him inside. He wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of fish and she led him over to the benches, sitting down on the front row in the final two seats that were left, and they were just in time for the start of the sea lion show. Hermione yelled, clapped and laughed loudly encouraging the sea lion like the trainer asked the audience to do and Oliver found her actions amusing, but he did join in, too.

"Brace yourself," Hermione warned.

"Fer what?" He asked confused. A smirk pulled at her face in response. She knew something, he knew she did.

Before he knew it, the sea lion had jumped out of the water and touched a large red ball that was hanging in the air, before it landed in the water with a great splash, soaking everyone in the first three rows.

A loud gasp of surprise left him at the freezing cold temperature of the water, before he laughed in disbelief, turning to look at Hermione. She laughed loudly and pushed the wet hair that had fallen out of her bun, out of her face.

"So tha’'s why ye wanted tae know?"

"Partially," she answered.

"There’s something else?" He said surprised, not sure if he should be afraid or not.

"Always," she laughed.

When the show came to an end they applauded loudly and stayed behind to meet the sea lion; Oliver pulling the trainer into conversation and taking photos of Hermione and the sea lion hugging. Hermione was able to snap a photo of a surprised Oliver getting kissed by the sea lion and she thought it was hilarious, framing worthy and possible future blackmail material. After visiting the gift ship and putting everything sneakily into her bag, they moved away from the zoo and returned to the rides.

After going on the Waltzers and the Wild Mouse, they purchased copies of photos taken of them on the ride, before heading to the Terroriser. It had taken Hermione several minutes to coax Oliver into joining her on the ride and he hadn’t enjoyed it one bit, yelling when they’d been held upside down for too long and when he slipped forward in his seat.

"Are you okay?" She asked amused as they stepped away from the ride.

"Tha’ was the worst one yet," he muttered, leaning forward with his hands on his knees and his bowed as he breathed deeply.

She chuckled at him and rubbed her hand over his back comfortingly. He wasn't going to admit that he was playing it up a little. Don't get him wrong, that ride did make him feel ill but it had worn off ages ago, he was just enjoying her attention.

"How about something more tame?" She suggested and he nodded. "Let's go then," she said, walking off and making it so he had to run to catch up with her.

“This?" Oliver said in disbelief, as he grabbed a sack and carried it up the stairs.

"Yes, you wanted something tame," she replied, looking down at him over her shoulder before she ran up the rest of the stairs. He shook his head in amusement before chasing after her, and once they reached the top, they placed their sacks down and they sat on them.

"Last one to the bottom is a rotten egg!" She called childishly and pushed herself forward. Oliver snorted before doing the same and they raced down the slide.

Hermione reached the bottom first and she did a strange victory dance with her arms, and it had Oliver creased with laughter and unable to resist taking photos. She received strange and amused looks from the crowds as they walked past, and children laughed at her loudly.

"I win," she sang, repeating it several times. He snorted at her and she finally stopped with her victory dance. “Okay, we have about an hour and a half before the park closes and we still have a few more things we need to do, so, let’s get a move on," she said, walking over to the game booths.

Hermione won a large tiger teddy that she would have to carry for the time being and Oliver had accidentally won a goldfish, which had Hermione laughing at him as he stared at the goldfish swimming in the bag strangely. After convince one of the game booth attendants to allow them to leave their prizes there until closing, they made a quick visit to the sweet shop, followed by the souvenir shop. When they’d finished, they had time for two more rides and Hermione walked them in the direction of the log flume and after using a queue jumper, they were soon sat in the front seat of the boat.

"Why are they wearin’ those weird plastic things?" He whispered to Hermione and subtly nodded behind him to everyone who happened to be wearing rain coats.

"No reason," she said innocently. He narrowed his eyes at her and she looked at him with an innocent smile.

The ride began and he sat back enjoying the view as it took them around the park and past some of the zoo animals. After a while they went into a dark tunnel and up a steep ramp and he heard Hermione giggling beside him; he knew something was about to happen. And he was right.

The boat came to a stop and he could hear the rushing water beneath them and he could see a small patch of light up ahead. Suddenly the boat tipped forward and they went down a steep ramp, Oliver was unable to stop his yell of surprise whilst Hermione laughed loudly. When they reached the bottom, water splashed over the front and sides of the boat and they were soaked from head to toe, Hermione laughing to herself at his shocked expression as she pushed her wet hair out of her.

As they were nearing the platform they sailed beneath an overhead waterfall, wetting them even more before they were attacked by people stood on a bridge above them with water guns, and they seemed to be specifically aiming for Hermione and Oliver as they were the only ones who weren’t wearing rain coats. When they finally reached the platform, they climbed out of the boat and made their way to the overhead bridge, standing by the railing.

"A cannae believe ye did tha’ tae mae," he spoke.

She laughed. "I asked you if you were fine with getting wet," she reminded him.

She wrung out her shirt and then her vest top and he noticed that her clothing had some-what turned transparent and it clung to her frame, showing the curve of her breasts and her flat stomach. He cocked his head to the side, admiring the view before quickly averting his gaze when she looked up at him. Merlin, he’d almost been caught ogling her!

Deciding he should probably get some of the water out of his clothing, too, he mimicked her actions, wringing out his t-shirt out. It had gone transparent as it moulded to him, showing off his muscled arms, chest and stomach. From the corner of his eyes caught sight of Hermione blushing bright red and he felt an amused smirk pull at his mouth. 

Whilst hi attention was on Hermione, he’d still noticed the glances he received from passing crowd members; feeling pleased at the way a scowl soon appeared on Hermione’s face.

All of a sudden she started laughing and he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?" He asked. She was unable to get her words out. "What?" He chuckled.

She was able to finally calm herself down. "Your hair," she said, gesturing to it. "It's almost as bad as mine," she said, gesturing to her own and he chuckled. Most of it had fallen out of the bobble and it clung to her neck and face.

Reaching up, she took the rest of her hair out of the bobble and squeezed the water out of her hair, before she bent at the waist and flipped her hair over, shaking it out and then standing back up and pulling it into a loose pony tail. She stepped closing to him, reached up and pushed his hair away from his face and smoothed it out for him to make him look more presentable. His mouth twitched at the gesture and he refrained from leaning into her touch.

"Can you see now?" She asked amused and he chuckled.

"Aye, a can," he nodded.

She smiled at his answer as she climbed up onto the railing, purchasing herself on top of it, and he leaned against it standing beside her.

"So, have you had a good day?"

"Aye, a have," he answered honestly.

It was one of the best days he’d ever had in his life. He’d completely forgotten that they were on a date as to him it almost felt as though they were on a day out for a couple that had been together for years. He was comfortable around her; he didn't have to be Oliver Wood, Captain of Puddlemere. He didn’t have to be the celebrity people expected him to be. He could just be himself, knowing that she wouldn't judge him. She'd tease him, but she wouldn't judge him. He trusted her and he found that it wasn’t hard to do.

"So, you're glad you came with me today?"

"Aye, a am," he nodded.

"Even though you're soaked, injured, will likely have a sore throat from all that screaming you’ve been doing, _and_ you almost threw up?" She said teasingly.

"Aye, given all tha’, a’m glad ye brought mae here taday."

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a warm smile. He raised his hand and pushed some of the wet wisps of her hair behind her ear and he leaned forward, feeling that it was the perfect time to have their first kiss.

Just before his lips touched hers, he heard a noise and out of the corner of his eye he noticed a group of girls stood in front of him and Hermione. There were four of them; two with blonde hair and green eyes, one red head with blue eyes and one with black hair and blue eyes. He wasn’t sure if he should’ve been surprised to see they were wearing tight and revealing clothing, but then he was used to it with fan girls throwing themselves at him and his team mates partners dressing in the same manner.

Oliver’s annoyance was obvious as he pulled back from Hermione but making sure to stay close by her side, seeing that Hermione had a slight blush to her cheeks.

"Hi," one of the blondes purred, blatantly looking him up and down and her gaze lingering on his chest. "I'm Sarah, and you are?"

"Not interested," he replied without missing a beat. He wasn’t interested and he saw no point in beating around the bush. Sometimes being blunt was the best option. Hermione sniggered at his response and his mouth twitched.

"Now, don't be like that handsome," the other blonde pouted, bringing her hand up to rest against his arm. "I'm Kayla," she introduced herself. Oliver looked down at her hand with a frown on his face.

"I suggest you remove your hand," Hermione spoke calmly.

"Why? What are you going to do?" She challenged, looking Hermione up and down and sniffing in dislike. "You must be related, his sister probably, I can’t see any reason as to why he would be seen in public with you otherwise," she said nastily and the other girls laughed.

Oliver looked to Hermione and saw her rolling her eyes, seeming to be unphased by the cruel words said to her.

"I'm not his sister, you moronic bint," Hermione drawled. Oliver felt his mouth twitch when they looked outraged. "And I'm not going to do anything he’s a big boy and he can fight his own battles. I just thought I’d be polite and help you preserve what little dignity you have, but if you want to go for it, be my guest. Don't mind me, just forget I'm here."

They looked at her confused. "What?"

"Get a move on, we don’t have all day," she sighed, gesturing to Oliver with her hand.

"So, you never did tell us your name," Sarah turned her eyes to Oliver, giving him a coy smile.

"Tha's ‘coz a’m not interested," he spoke, removing his arm from the grip the other blonde had on his arm.

"Why not?” She pouted. “She's obviously not with you, look at her,” she waved a hand towards Hermione and the others sniggered.

Oliver looked to Hermione, seeing her rubbing at her temples with her eyes closed and an annoyed look on her face. He planned on defending her, but Sarah spoke before he had the chance to.

"So, you wanna get out of here?" She asked him.

"A really don’, not with ye at least," he replied.

"You're not the brightest light bulb are you?" Hermione sighed and she cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. Despite not understanding what she’d said, he got the feeling she’d somehow insulted the group of girls and he felt his mouth twitch in amusement. Hermione turned her attention away from the girls and to him. "We have time for one more ride before closing, do you want to go for it or head home now?" She asked.

"Let's go fer it," he replied, ignoring the gathered group of girls surrounding them and holding his hand out to her so he could help her climb down from the railing she was perched on.

"Okay, it’s this way," she said, removing her hand from his and walking off. He frowned slightly before shaking his head and moving to follow after her.

"Why are you with her? She's not even the slightest bit pretty."

Oliver stopped in his steps at hearing the spoken words and he had to force down his anger at hearing Hermione being insulted when she wasn’t even there to defend herself. Looking over his shoulder, the gathered group of girls took a slight step back at the less than pleased look on his face.

“The woman yer insultin’ if me future wife. She’s beautiful an’ selfless an’ intelligent. Each day a spend with her a feel more grateful tha’ it’s mae she’s marrying an’ not someone else. A’m assuming yer insultin’ her ‘coz ye feel embarrassed,” he spoke, pointedly looking them up and down. They could’ve been pretty if it weren’t for the overdone make-up and tight, revealing clothing. “An’ if yer don’, ye should.” They all gasped at his words. “This is a family place an’ a feel sorry fer the poor bairns tha’ will be scarred fer life after gettin’ an eyeful from the lot af ye,” he spoke, and feeling much better about taking them down a notch, he turned and walked away, quickly catching up to Hermione.

Soon enough they came to a stop at the Ferris Wheel, climbed into one of the carriages and waited until the ride began. Not long later they came to a stop at the top, allowing them the chance to look out of the view of the theme park and the countryside that surrounded them.

"I’m sorry about those girls," Hermione apologised. "I tried to convince you that muggles were good people, but I should've warned you that even the Muggle World has people like Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy. I thought that if I brought you here, you could have a fun day to enjoy yourself without having to worry about being bothered by the public or the press.”

"A have had fun an’ a have enjoyed meself; watching ye insult those girls was the highlight af the day," he replied, amusement in his tone. She shook her head at him and chuckled.

"So, would you considering coming to the Muggle World with me again?"

"Where would ye take mae?" He asked curiously.

"Anywhere you’d like to go. We have water parks which are essentially similar to this, only their rides and attractions revolve around water. And we have zoos, the one here is tiny compared to others. Or we could go to the beach or for a tour of a city or town and see the sights and landmarks. We could play crazy golf or go go-karting, and there’s plenty of muggle sports I could introduce you to."

"There‘s more than one?” He asked intrigued.

She nodded. "There’s too many to count: football, rugby, basketball, baseball, hockey, dodgeball, skiing, ice hockey, ice skating, netball, volley-ball, kick rounders, bat rounders, tennis, badminton and they’re just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. There’s plenty of things to do in the Muggle World. I mean, look at everything you’ve done today, you’ve have your first visit to the Muggle World, your first ride on a roller coaster and water ride. You’ve been on the Ferris Wheel,” she patted the safety bar, And no theme park experience is complete without it. You’ve been introduced to animals you didn’t even know existed, and different foods, beverages and sweets. You’ve been hit on by your first group of muggle girls,” she teased, nudging him with her shoulder and chuckling at his scowl. “And you’ve played fairground games and won your first goldfish, speaking of which, what are you going to name it?”

"A dunno," he had a thoughtful look on his face. "Fishy?" Hermione shook her head. "Tuna?" She shook her head again. "Goldie?"

She laughed at him." You’re terrible at this," she spoke, her mouth pulling into a smile the mock look of hurt that crossed his face. "How about Puddle?" She suggested. “It’s short for Puddlemere."

"Puddle it is," he grinned in agreement.

"We'll have to make a detour on the way back and get you some things for the fish," she said and he nodded.

“Ye dinnae even flinch when those girls were bein’ mean tae ye," he commented, changing the subject.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Unfortunately, I'm used to it; all the mean comments and bullying. It doesn't affect me anymore, it just bounces right off," she gave him a sad smile.

"They shouldn't have been so awful towards ye," he frowned.

"But they were, and people do say things about me all the time, I've gotten used to it and you should just ignore it. We both know it's only going to get worse. I imagine the papers are going to be rather unkind, they’ll likely slander me when they discover I’m your match, and if it’s Rita Skeeter, she’ll make me out to be the one at fault; she hates me.”

"Do ye believe it, the things people say about ye?"

"Sometimes I do, I’m not blind, I know I’m not overly pretty like other witches. I know I’m bossy and insufferable."

"Ye shouldn't say tha’ aboot yerself, ye shouldn't believe it,"

"It’s kind of hard not to when you've been put down most of your life."

"By whom?" He asked, anger breaking through into his tone.

"Everyone from the Muggle School I used to attend; they didn't like me since I was smarter and more mature than they were, but that wasn't my fault. I was forced to grow up early as my parents were always working. I was bullied for my big hair and for the strange things that always seemed to happen around me. When I started Hogwarts I met Malfoy and the Slytherins, surprisingly, Ron was the worst; he never failed to insult me in some way. He was particularly relentless during my fourth year."

"What happened yer fourth year?"

"He found out I was dating Viktor Krum," she shrugged her shoulder.

"Wait, what? Ye dated Viktor Krum?" He said in disbelief. "As in _The_ Viktor Krum?" He couldn't believe she’d dated the most famous seeker in the world.

"Yes, I dated him. He said I was different from other girls; I didn't throw myself at him, in fact, I pretty much ignored him until he asked for my help looking for a specific book in the library and before I knew it, we were dating. We didn’t stay together long, we broke up before he went back to Bulgaria. Our relationship was all over the papers thanks to Skeeter, you didn't notice?"

"Naw, a did, a jus’ thought they were lies ‘coz a knew ye would never date Harry, so a assumed it was the same with Krum. Why did ye break up?"

"I was barely fifteen and he was eighteen. He wanted things from me that I couldn't give to him, and I couldn't give him all of my attention like he wanted me to. I was too focused on Harry, trying to help him survive the tournament."

"An’ when ye say he wanted things from ye?" He asked slowly, a strange look crossing his face.

"I mean exactly what you think I do. He tried to pressure me into having sex with him, but I couldn't and wouldn't give him what he wanted. In the end he got bored of me saying no, so he cheated on me, admitted what he’d done and then broke up with me. But that's not what bothered me. What bothered me was that Ron was right. He told me that Viktor was using me, that he only wanted one thing from me and he was right. By dating me, Viktor not only distracted Harry but he had access to my knowledge and he knew that I was loyal, so I wouldn't betray him; I ended up in the hospital wing for Merlin's sake, because I was attacked by one of his fan girls. But Viktor soon showed his true colours. I should've known though, it was obvious that he was using me, his status and looks compared to mine," she sighed and shook her head.

Oliver felt himself bristle at her words, he felt fury flood through him. How could someone treat her in such a way? And whilst he was angry at Krum, he felt even worse in listening to the way she put herself down.

"Hey," he nudged her shoulder gently. "Yer beautiful no matter what anyone says."

"That's sweet of you to say," she looked to him with a sad smile. "But you have to say that; you’re marrying me and you’re afraid I'll kill you in your sleep," she joked, before looking away from him.

He gently tucked him hand under her chin and angled her head so she was looking at him and before either of them knew it, Oliver leaned in and kissed her, pressing his lips against hers softly and pulling back to see her surprised expression and wide eyes.

"Yer beautiful, an’ ye don' need make-up an’ tight, expensive clothing tae be so. Yer selfless an’ kind, caring an’ terrifyingly smart. A only officially met ye a week ago an’ even a can see those qualities in ye. Yer beautiful inside an’ oot, ye jus’ don' see it ‘coz yer tae harsh on yerself."

"I'm not..."

He cut off her protest by pressing his lips against hers, applying more pressure when she didn't respond due to her surprise. When she seemed to gain her bearings, they moved their mouths slowly and gently against the others, his hand moving to cup her cheek, marvelling at the softness of her skin and lips. He was tempted to reach out with his tongue and explore more of her mouth, but not wanting to scare her, he didn’t. When they felt the carriage come to a stop, they pulled back from each other, seeing they were almost back on the ground.

"Right, well," Hermione said, clearing her throat nervously with a blush to her cheeks, amusing him. "It's almost closing time so we better collect our thing and head back."

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London**

After collecting their belongings, they soon apparated back to Muggle London and were able to find a pet shop that was still open. As Hermione stepped inside, Oliver followed behind her, his eyes taking in the displays, items for sale on the strange looking small animals that were kept in tanks and cages; he only recognised the rabbits, rats and birds.

"You need a fish bowl or tank, some fake plants or decoration, some pebbles or gravel, fish food and we should probably get you another fish, too, so Puddle has a companion."

She pulled him towards the back of the shop where the large tanks of fish where displayed and they looked around before Hermione found an employee and they told him what fish they wanted. Seeing as Puddle was an all orange goldfish, Oliver choose silver and orange goldfish so he would be able to tell them apart, and because he couldn't resist, he choose another goldfish, this one orange and silver with black speckles.

"You need names," Hermione told him, as they wandered the shop getting what they needed.

"Ye can pick since yer better at it than a am," he chuckled.

"The one with black speckles is Captain, and the other one can be Woody."

"So yer named them after me team, me status an’ me name," he said amused.

"I like them," she shrugged her shoulders.

After picking enough fish food to last a few months, some ornaments for decoration and some blue, yellow and white gravel, they took everything to the counter to be paid for, before heading back to Diagon Alley.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

They floo’d into the flat through The Leaky Cauldron, seeing it to be empty and after walking into the kitchen, Hermione found a note on the table.

_Mia,_

_We’ve gone to The Burrow for dinner, we'll tell Mum that you can't make it, but if you get back in time floo over. We'll see you later._

_-F &G_

"The twins are at The Burrow, it's Sunday and everyone goes for dinner," she explained.

After removing the contents from the bags, she removed the lid from the glass tank that was far too big for three small fish, but Oliver had insisted that he wanted that specific tank. When she learned that the goldfish were his first pet, she dropped the subject, shaking her head with a laugh.

She made quick work of putting the coloured gravel in to the tank, transfiguring a Hogwarts-like castle from one of the ornaments and putting the fake plants into the tank, a with a little spell work, she was able to transfigure some Quidditch hoops. Using her wand she quickly cast an _Aquamenti_ and filled the tank with water before stepping back to see the final product. Oliver grinned to himself, seeing that the Quidditch theme suited him perfectly.

"Why’d ye do tha’ an’ not jus’ put them straight in?" He asked confused, gesturing to the bags that housed the goldfish bobbing about in the water.

"To allow them time to adapt to the temperature of the water, seeing the temperature in the tank is colder than the temperature of the water in the bags. If we just put the fish straight in the tank, there’s a chance of them going into shock and dying," she explained. "Do you know where you're going to put this? It's rather big," she commented. And it was. It was almost four feet in length, three feet in width and four feet in height. She couldn't believe she’d allowed the shop owner to talk Oliver into buying a tank that big for three tiny goldfish, but he wouldn’t be swayed.

"Aye, a know the perfect place. An’ ye heard the owner, the tank has tae be big ‘coz goldfish can grow up tae twelve inches in size. They need their space an’ a can always add tae me growing collection," he grinned and Hermione snorted at him.

"You'll have to be careful with that as fish can become territorial and if you go about it the wrong way, they may fight and injure themselves, but you can only have fresh water fish in this tank," she informed him.

Picking up the remaining bags of gravel and ornaments, she placed them all into a single bag before removing Oliver’s wand and jacket from her beaded bag and handing them back to him.

"It's not difficult, is it?" She asked, moving to sit next him at the kitchen table.

"What isnae?"

"Going without magic,"

He frowned slightly. "A suppose not, a mean, a know we talked aboot magic but a never once thought aboot me wand an’ needing tae use it," he said honestly and Hermione smiled.

"Well, they've had long enough so let's get them into their new home," Hermione said and Oliver looked like a child on Christmas.

She carefully opened the bags and waited for the fish to swim into their new accommodations before putting the empty bags in the bin. When she returned to the table, she chuckled at Oliver as he watched the fish, being enraptured by their behaviour.

"A think they like it," he beamed excitedly and watching as the fish swam through the Quidditch hoops and castle. Chuckling at him, she noticed Puddle nudging at the gravel.

"I think it's time to feed them, Puddle's looking for food."

She removed the fish food from the bag and handed it to Oliver, showing him how much to feed them, and he put it in the water and watched as they swam to the food, eating it greedily.

"They only need feeing once a day and preferably around the same time to give them a schedule. You finish training at six o’clock, right?"

"Aye, a get home not long after," he answered.

"Well, it's around six o’clock now, that’s perfect then. When you arrive home from training you feed them before you do anything else. The water should be given a partial change at least once a week and the tank should be given a full clean every few weeks to keep the fish healthy." Oliver nodded at her. "You're going to need some help getting this home, it weighs more than I do," she said, gesturing to tank and laughing.

He felt that it was the perfect time to bring up her weight situation when he heard her stomach rumble and he laughed at her embarrassed expression.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "It's been a busy day and I can't be bothered cooking," she groaned, before catching sight of the note. "Are you hungry?" He nodded in response. "Do you want to come to The Burrow for dinner? They should be sitting down any minute now."

"They won't mind?"

Hermione snorted. "No, Mrs. Weasley will be ecstatic to meet you and she cooks enough food to feed a small army. She'll give you leftovers to take home that’ll last you a week," she said fondly and he chuckled. "But I'll ask them anyway."

Reaching for her wand she muttered, “ _Expecto Patronum_."

She cast the spell effortlessly and Oliver watched amazed as a large and majestic blue lion stood in front of her, waiting for instructions. Hermione reach out and ran her fingers through the lion’s mane and he nuzzled at her hand, making her laugh.

"You can pet him, he won't hurt you," she told him.

Oliver blinked and slowly lifted his hand and scratched the lion’s head. He flinched when the lion leaned into his touch, having thought he was going to hurt him, but he soon relaxed when the lion licked his hand and made a purring sound.

Hermione smiled widely. "He likes you," she said proudly and Oliver sat up straight and puffed out his chest, as Hermione sent the lion off to The Burrow and they waited for a reply, which came in the form of a coyote.

"Mia, mum said it's fine, she can't wait to interrogate, OW..." Hermione chuckled, knowing the interruption was Mrs. Weasley hitting her son on the arm with a wooden spoon. "I mean meet your future husband. We're just sitting down now so you better hurry before Charlie eats everything – OW!"

She snorted as the coyote disappeared in a cloud of mist. "See? Everything’s fine."

"Whose patronus was tha’?” He asked intrigued.

"Fred's," she answered. “And we better go, we're going to have to carry the tank, we can't shrink it down as the magic may harm the fish. I just hope it fits in the floo."

"Yer've got someone wanting tae get in," Oliver said, gesturing to the kitched window with a tilt of his head.

Frowning, Hermione retrieved an owl treat from the counter, walked over to the window and retrieved the letter, reading it out aloud.

_Miss. Granger,_

_Here, at The Ministry, it has come to our attention that yourself and your Ministry match, Oliver Wood, have yet to notify The Ministry of your intended wedding date. This is in direct violation of the regulations of the Marriage Act and action will be taken if this situation is not rectified by business hours on Monday._

"It's only been a week," she sighed in annoyance, before throwing the letter in the bin.

"It’s like ye said, they’re gunna put our marriage on a pedestal fer a-body tae see, they want tha’ tae happen as soon possible."

"We'll speak with Mrs. Weasley, she's already planning Percy's wedding so she'll be able to help us pick out a date. What about your mother? Does she want to help with the planning?"

He shrugged. "A would assume so."

"I'll have Mrs. Weasley correspond with her through owls. Do you want to help with the planning?"

He scoffed at her. "Not a chance, why would a want tae do tha’?"

"If I have to suffer then so do you," she said seriously and he smirked at her.

"A’body knows the groom shouldn’t be involved in the planning af a wedding. A leave ev’rything in yer capable hands."

"Oh, how very gracious of you," she snarked. He chuckled at her. "And I’ll leave everything in the capable hands of Mrs. Weasley." He laughed at her. "You know, maybe the twins should plan the wedding," she said thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin.

"Naw thanks, a’d prefer the food tae stay food an’ not turn intae flobberworms," he commented.

"They've never done that before, thanks for the idea," she said grinning and he rolled his eyes. "Alright then, let's go before there’s no food left."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 22

**The Burrow – Sunday 28th June 1998**

Hermione and Oliver floo’d to The Burrow and they carefully stepped out into the living room with the large and heavy tank in their arms. The water was sloshing about inside and Hermione was afraid she was going to drop the tank.

"Fred, George, a little help please!" She called, and moments later they stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. They looked at them strangely as walked over to them.

"What's going on here?" Fred asked, as he and George took over from Hermione and they helped Oliver carry the tank as they walked into the kitchen slowly.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Bill, Fleur and Percy were sat down and just about to eat and the conversation stopped as they looked at them confused. The twins and Oliver put the fish tank at the other end of the large kitchen table, which was half occupied. Mr. Weasley was sat at the head of the table with his wife to his right, followed by Bill, Fleur and then Percy. Charlie was sat on his left, followed by Fred and then George. Hermione sat next to George and Oliver sat himself next to Percy. Greetings were given and they began passing the food around.

"What's that?" Fred finally asked.

"Oliver's new fish tank," Hermione replied rolling her eyes. "He won a gold fish and when we went to the muggle pet shop to get him everything he needed to keep it alive, he decided he wanted to buy two more. Then the manager talked him into buying that thing..." She gestured to the huge tank. "Honestly," Hermione huffed and they chuckled at her. "There’s no need for a tank that big for those tiny fish."

"A told ye, they can grow up tae twelve inches in size an’ a can add tae the collection," Oliver spoke as he watched the fish swimming about in the tank.

"He's obsessed with them and carrying that thing over here wasn’t fun."

"Why didn't you just levitate it or use a Feather-Light Charm?" Charlie asked amused.

Hermione's face went blank and then she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Because I didn’t think of that," she groaned and they chuckled at her. "But I’m not sure how the magic would affect the fish, so it's safer to just carry the tank."

"Did you buy those decorations in the shop?" Bill asked.

"Yes, but I transfigured them. The castle was smaller and I decided to make it look more like Hogwarts and the Quidditch hoops were small towers. I haven't finished with the setting yet,"

"Ye havnae?" Oliver asked surprised.

"No, it's nowhere near done. I'm going to put a small Quidditch pitch of sorts in there for you. Maybe a few players if I can figure out the transfiguration charms, hell, I may even put the Puddlemere logo in the gravel for you."

"So, what are the fish called?" George asked. They were all watching the fish swimming around in the tank happily.

"The orange one is Puddle, the orange an’ silver is Woody an’ the one with black speckles is Captain," Oliver said proudly and they were amused at his child-like happiness.

"Very creative," the twins rolled their eyes.

"Actually, Granger named them," Oliver replied.

"As we were saying, brilliant, -“

“- Genius name choices.”

"So, where did you take Oliver?" Percy asked Hermione.

"Flamingo Land,"

"You went without us!" Fred, George, Bill and Charlie whined childishly and Hermione laughed at them, particularly of the fact they’d managed to somehow coordinate their response.

"Yes, I took you all last month and I promise we'll go again in the future. In fact, I'll take you to a different theme park, Thorpepark, Pleasure Island, Pleasure Beach, Alton Towers, Fantasy Island, Lightwater Valley, you pick which ever," she shrugged. "Anyway, I bought everyone presents," she said and they looked placated at the news.

They continued with dinner in high spirits and everyone chatted in the comfortable atmosphere and they laughed at the twins’ usual antics. That was until the interrogation began.

"So, Oliver?" Mr. Weasley said, levelling him with a look that made him feel uncomfortable. "You are going to treat our Hermione well, aren't you?"

He shifted in his seat at the look on Mr. Weasley’s face, a look that no one had seen before, including his wife, and it more than surprised them. Hermione blushed, groaned and buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

"Aye, a was raised tae treat women with respect. A would never hurt her an’ a’m sure she would hex mae if a even thought aboot it." He said and they chuckled at the truth in his statement.

"How are you going to provide for her?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"I can provide for myself, thank you very much, Papa," Hermione huffed with her head still buried in her hands so he voice came out muffled.

"Mae family has wealth behind us, but a’m the starting keeper fer Puddlemere United an’ a’ve recently been made Captain. Yer daughter will want fer nothing; tha’ a can an’ will promise ye," Oliver said. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly at Oliver calling Hermione their 'daughter'.

"And if she refuses to do something?" Mr. Weasley said with a narrowed gaze. They all knew what to what he was referring to and Hermione made a small squeaking sound in protest.

"Then she refuses. A cannae an’ a won't force her tae do anything she doesn’t wish tae do," he replied, once more shifting in his seat slightly.

"And will you stop her from working?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Naw, a havnae yer daughter fer long, but even a know it would be stupid tae keep her from working. She isnae the type af person tae just sit at home, she needs tae be productive,” he answered. Hermione’s smile was hidden by her hands; she was glad to know he wasn't opposed to her working.

They interrogated him some more until they were sure they could trust Oliver with Hermione's well being. When dinner was over, they were going to sit in the living room and Hermione would give them their presents and they stood to leave.

"Maji?" Hermione said.

The day after Hermione moved into the flat with the twins, Hermione had had a long talk with Mrs. Weasley. She hadn't told her anything but the older woman knew Hermione was keeping something from them and she knew that she needed a mother. Mrs. Weasley had thought of Hermione as one of her children since she was eleven years old, and she had been insisting Hermione call her ‘Molly’ or ‘Mum’ since. Hermione had finally conceded; she needed a mother and Mrs. Weasley had been a mother figure in her life since she was a child.

"Yes, Dear?"

"We received a letter from The Ministry, we have to inform them of our wedding date by tomorrow evening or we break the stipulations of the law."

"Oh dear, that's not good. Well then, we better get to work," she frowned, summoning some parchment and a self inking quill.

"And that's our cue to leave," Fred said and they all headed to the door.

Hermione noticed that Oliver tried to sneak out with the others and she levelled him with a scowl. "I don't think so, Skippy, sit," she said, pointing to his chair. "You need to help with the wedding date."

Oliver looked pleadingly at the others, but they just laughed and walked out of the room leaving him to fend for himself. He sighed and sat down.

"So, we have just shy of three months," Mrs. Weasley spoke. "Percy and Audrey's wedding is set for Tuesday 17th August, so that date is taken. I need at least two week's notice," she said. Hermione looked at Oliver and they both shrugged and Mrs. Weasley huffed. "Now that’s no help at all," she scowled at them.

"A don' mind when we do it?" Oliver shrugged, leaning back into his chair.

"The Ministry wants us to marry as soon as possible; they won't leave us alone until we do. But Quidditch season is about to start," Hermione said thoughtfully. "When do you have the most matches?" She asked Oliver, turning her eyes to him.

"We have a few in July, but triple the amount in August," he answered.

"So, maybe sometime in July?" She suggested. He shrugged his shoulders and she rolled her eyes at him. With a wave of her wand, she quickly summoned her own personal calendar so she could see the dates available to her. "Let's see, if we do it on a Thursday, you’re legally required to take a day off from training, so you'll be off Friday and they’ll likely give you Saturday off as well, and you’re already off on Sundays. That gives you a three day break and you can rest from training...Don't look at me like that," Hermione said, noticing his frown at her mentioning him taking time off from training. "You’ll need the break to let your body recover from the intensive training you're doing and the matches."

"Fine," he grumbled and crossed his arms childishly.

"You need at least two weeks to get everything set up, so we'll give you a month. How about Thursday 30th July? Do you have a match that day?" She asked Oliver.

"Naw, we have one three days befere. Tha’ date's fine with mae," he shrugged and Mrs. Weasley beamed at finally having a wedding date.

"Now, the details," the older woman said.

Hermione saw Oliver's pale face and she sighed, deciding spare him from the horror that was wedding planning. "You don't have to stay for this part, but it needs to be done."

"Oh thank, Merlin," he sighed in relief and he stood to leave, before looking down at her. "Remember, your choice. Whatever ye want," he said.

She nodded and he left the room. Hermione looked at Mrs. Weasley and she was smiling at her with a twinkle in her eyes as though she knew something Hermione didn't.

"Oliver’s mother will likely want to help plan the wedding," Hermione told Mrs. Weasley.

"She does, we attended Hogwarts around the same time and we've stayed in touch. I'll continue to correspond with her once we get the basics out of the way. Let's get started. Venue?"

"Can we have the wedding here by the lake and then the reception at Wood Manor?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Of course, Dear, Beth would love that." She made a note of it on her parchment. "Catering?"

"That’s easy, you. No one's cooking is as wonderful as yours."

Again she beamed and wrote it down. "Colour scheme?" She asked.

"I don't know. Something neutral, maybe blue and white," Hermione said.

She nodded and wrote it down. "Flowers?"

"Peonies and hydrangeas,"

They continued for almost an hour before they had the basics all set and then they walked into the living room and found everyone talking animatedly. Hermione slumped down onto the couch in-between Fred and George and they chuckled at her frazzled look. She rested her head on George's shoulder and pulled her legs up and placed them on Fred's lap.

Oliver frowned when he saw the position they were in and how comfortable they were with each other. Fred noticed and he smirked and lifted an eyebrow at him and Oliver gave him the middle finger and George and Fred laughed at him; the whole exchange went unnoticed by Hermione.

"So, how did it go?" George asked, putting his arm around her shoulders and she shifted slightly so she was leaning against his chest.

"Awful, I never want to do that again. Why do people put themselves through that?" She said groaning and they chuckled at her.

"Did ye get a’thing done?" Oliver asked from his place opposite them on the other couch.

"More or less,” she sighed. “The ceremony will be at sun down, the venue is here at the lake and the reception at your parent’s manor. Maji assured me that your mother would be delighted to host the reception, apparently they attended Hogwarts together and they owl regularly," she said, rubbing at her temples and trying to ward off the headache.

George batted her hands away and took over for her, massaging her temples. She sighed happily, closing her eyes and Oliver once again frowned. The twins shared smirks when they noticed.

"The colour scheme is blue and white, the flowers are peonies and hydrangeas and Maji is doing the catering. I'm having a muggle dress instead of robes, and you need to pick your wedding party and make a list of guests. I've already done mine and once Maji gets yours, she and your mother will get the invitations done and dusted and sent off. She wants it by Tuesday."

He nodded surprised. They’d basically gotten the whole thing planned. "A'll get it tae later," he said.

She nodded. "Now, presents," she said.

Fred and George sat up straight and the movement sent Hermione flying off the couch and she landed on the floor with a yelp and a thud. They laughed at her and she grumbled and grouched, before she removed everyone's gifts from her bag and some of the sweets they’d bought. They chatted and laughed happily before everyone started heading home. Hermione removed all of Oliver's things from her bag and he banished them back to his apartment.

"A'll owl ye later," he said and Hermione nodded.

They stared at each other awkwardly and the tension in the room was building. Oliver quickly titled his head down and leaned forward and he kissed her lightly on the mouth before walking over to the fish tank. Hermione blushed red and Oliver hid his chuckle.

Fred and George entered the room and helped him to carry the fish tank to the fire place and they floo’d to his apartment.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

They stepped out of the floo and Oliver led them over to a large empty table that was against a wall and they put the tank down onto it and straightened it out before stepping back and Oliver beamed; he knew he had the perfect place for it.

"So, how did it go?" Fred asked. The twins were easier to tell apart now that George had lost his ear.

"Good," he said with a ridiculous smile and the twins snorted at him.

"You were jealous when she was sat with us," George stated.

"You like her," Fred spoke confidently. Oliver's eyes widened and the twins smirked. "There's no point in denying it. We can tell. Hell, everyone can tell; it's obvious. Well maybe not to Hermione, but everyone else can see it."

"You get jealous and you didn't take your eyes off her during dinner or when we were in the living room. You didn't stop smiling when she gave you her attention and we caught you staring at her when she was wasn’t looking," George said amused and Oliver frowned.

"How long?" Fred asked curiously.

"First date," he admitted.

"That's good, she likes you too," George informed him.

"She does?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course she does,” George scoffed. “Any time your name’s brought up she blushes," he said. A grin spread across Oliver’s face.

"So, have you kissed her yet?" Fred teased.

"A thought she was yer sister," Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"She is; we're fine talking about this. But we’re never talking about sex, ever."

"Yeah, don't even go there!" George warned with a glare to at Oliver. "We don’t want to think about that. Ever! In our minds, Hermione’s not interested in boys, she thinks they have cooties and she plays with little dollies and has tea parties."

Oliver chuckled and shook his head at them. “Noted,"

"So?" Fred prompted and Oliver sighed.

“Aye, a have. She got all flustered ‘coz a caught her aff guard. Some lasses got a little tae close fer comfort an’ said some things tae her, not tha’ she kept quiet ‘coz she dinnae," he said chuckling.

"You got a glimpse of her temper, then?"

"Naw, a wouldn't say so, she looked calm actually. She rolled her eyes a few times an’ made a few insults an’ sarcastic comments."

"Well I'm sure you've heard of the famous Granger temper," George said.

"Who hasnae?" Oliver said amused.

"Well, imagine Hermione Granger furious; hair sparking, things shattering and chairs rattling furious. Now triple it," he said amused.

Oliver shivered at the imagery.

"Now you're getting it," they both said grinning.

"So when's the big date?" Fred asked.

"30th July," Oliver answered.

George whistled. "A month away? Really?"

"You ready to get married?" Fred asked.

"Not really, but a think there's a chance we can make it work."

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Thursday 2nd July, 1998**

Hermione had just closed up the shop and she put up the security wards -that she had strengthened after the war- and she removed her robes and headed upstairs to the flat to start dinner. The twins had left early because they had an errand to run, though what it was she didn’t know.

Hermione entered the flat and she stopped when she saw the twins stood in the middle of the living room, grinning at her.

"Why do you look like Charlie agreed to give you a pet dragon?"

"Because we got you a gift," Fred beamed and he and George stepped side wards to reveal a large box wrapped in red paper and tied off with a gold bow.

"Boys," she said sighing. "I don't need anything. Whatever it is I can't accept it."

"We've had this gift on the back burner for the past four weeks. We just had to wait until it was ready and now it is," George said.

"Boys, seriously, that was really sweet of you, but I can't accept it."

"Yeah, you can, and you're going to."

She went to protest again but the box suddenly moved and she jumped in surprise.

"What's in there?" She asked, eyeing the box worriedly.

"Take a look," they both said, grinning.

Hermione looked at them and the curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the box and lifted the lid off.

"Awe," She said quietly and her eyes softened as she dropped to her knees on the ground.

Inside the box was a Japanese Akita puppy. His stomach, tail and feet were white and there was a small patch of white around his nose. There rest of him was an orange-brown colour and his legs were white underneath and orange-brown on the top. He was the fluffiest thing Hermione had ever seen; he looked like a teddy bear.

She ran her hands through the dog's fur and it was incredibly soft and the dog barked happily and tried to jump out of the box, but he failed. Hermione picked him up and snuggled him in her arms, smiling widely when the puppy barked and licked her face. She giggled and nuzzled her cheek against his head.

"How old is he?" She asked.

"Eight weeks," the twins replied, beaming a smile. They’d never seen her so happy.

"What's his name?"

"That's for you to decide," George smiled.

Hermione put the dog down on the ground and he looked at her, his back bowed, bum in the air, his tail wagging playfully and he was looking at her with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

"Marcus? Teddy? Bobby? Prince? We can't call you Merlin or Godric. How abotut Frankie? No, Snitch? Quaffle?" The puppy barked. "Quaffle?" He barked again. "Quaffle it is," she smiled and the puppy barked once more and launched himself at her. She fell backwards and she laughed loudly as he licked her face and the twins looked at each other proudly.

"You do realise how big this breed of dog gets, right?" She questioned.

"Yeah, you should've seen the father," George grinned and she giggled at him.

"Well, when he’s at the height of your hip, don't come complaining to me," she said.

"Oliver's going to love him," Fred said and Hermione's grin dropped.

"What is it?" George asked with a frown.

"I'm marrying him and I have to live with him. What if Oliver doesn't like him? What if he's allergic? What if there isn't enough space for him. He'll have to stay here."

"Believe me, Mia," Fred spoke, kneeling down next to her and George did the same on her other side. "There’s plenty of space for you both where Oliver lives."

"And he’ll love him. He's called Quaffle for Merlin's Sake," George said chuckling. "Plus, he's a guard dog; he’ll keep the fan girls away."

Hermione groaned. "Great, you're a total witch magnet, you know that?" She said looking at Quaffle and he licked her face and she scratched his head. "He won't keep them at bay, he’ll attract them. Just what I need; more competition and ways to make me feel worse about myself," she muttered.

Fred and George frowned and then they sat down with their legs crossed and Quaffle laid down with his head in Hermione's lap. She scratched his head and Fred and George his back.

"We got you Quaffle because we know you miss Crookshanks, and we know that he can't be replaced, but Quaffle’s a dog so we thought we'd give it a try. And according to the Muggleborn we got him from, 'dogs are man's best friend'. We wanted you to have someone that would remain loyal to you, that would love you unconditionally and that wouldn't hurt you. The answer we came up with was a dog," George spoke.

"Quaffle’s different from other dogs. Don't ask us how because we have no idea, but he has some abilities that regular dogs don't have. He’s more in tune with a person's emotions, he can sense danger and he has a great understanding of who and what matters to you. He was bred in the Wizarding World as were his parents. We think being around magic has affected them in some way. His fur is also fluffier than a regular Japanese Akita, which according to the breeder usually has fine, coarse fur. He has a higher life expectancy, too. Regular muggle dogs live between ten and fifteen years. But Quaffle will live between eighty and ninety years. He’ll just age slowly, very slowly," Fred said.

"And you don't have to worry about competing with other women," George said softly. "We spoke with Oliver and we’ve seen the way he looks at you. He likes you." She blushed and the twins smirked. "And we know that you like him, too, so don't even bother trying to deny it," he said, noticing that she was about to protest.

"We know you're scared of letting anyone close to you after your parents dying and Harry and Ron abandoning you, but Oliver won't do that. Mainly because if he does, he’ll be thrown in Azkaban," Fred joked and she hit him in his arm with a small smile. "Oliver's a good guy."

"I know that,"

"You can tell him about anything you wish to, he won't judge you."

"He keeps asking me to tell him, but I'm not ready yet. It's only been a week. I told him I’d tell him when I'm ready but..."

"He just wants to get to know you. If he knows your past, he can help you in the future," George said. "He can get to know you like we do, better even. If you want us to be there when you tell him we will be, but you are going to have to tell him eventually. It’s not fair to either of you if you don’t."

"I love you two, you know that right?" She said quietly as she rested her head against Fred's shoulder.

"We love you, too, Mia," they said together.

"You know I've only told five people that I love them? My parents and they died. Harry and he left me and you two. I'm just waiting for something to come along and ruin it. The people I love always seem to leave me," she said sadly.

"We promise we won't leave you," Fred said softly and George wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek. "Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with us."

"I'm not though, I'm getting married in twenty-seven days and I’m moving out."

"You'll still see us every day at the shop," George spoke.

"I’ll have to cut my hours back soon so I can study for my NEWTs. And what if Oliver doesn't approve of me working at the shop? What if he wants me to quit? And who’s going to make you breakfast and wake you up in the mornings? Who’s going to cook you dinner? And teach you muggle board games and take you to the Muggle World? Who’s going to take you shopping?"

"Oliver will just want you to be happy, he won't care where you work," George assured her.

"You don't you worry about us," Fred said, wiping away another tear that fell down her cheek. "We managed just fine before you moved in with us." Hermione looked at them incredulously. "I see your point," he chuckled. "But we're still alive, aren't we? We’ll manage, and I’m sure that Oliver won't expect you to just cut us out of your life. We'll be eating dinner at your new place _at least_ four times a week; you can’t get rid of us that easily."

She smiled slightly. "I'm not ready to leave."

"You don't have a choice" George muttered angrily.

"I've never had a choice. I've never had a say in what I do with my life. I was born a witch, sent to Hogwarts, I didn't get a normal childhood, I stood by Harry, I fought a war for seven years, I sacrificed and I suffered. And when everything’s supposed to be fine, and I finally get the chance to decide what I want to do with my life for the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m being forced to marry and breed like a bloody brood mare."

"Everything will work out, Mia," Fred said softly.

"That's easy for you to say. You get to do it the right way. You get to meet someone, fall in love and marry them naturally. You don't get that choice taken away from you. I’m too young for this. I have to have a child before my one year anniversary and if I don't, I face being incarcerated. I may not even be able to have children. How am I supposed to tell Oliver that?"

"What do you mean?" They asked looking at her strangely; that was the first time she’d mentioned it to them.

She wiped her tears away and Quaffle whimpered. She looked down at him and scratched his head, maybe he was in tune with Hermione's emotions.

"When I was tortured," she started and they both flinched. "A lot of the spells were aimed at my stomach; it was the area that had the most damage done to it. And I don't want to fall for Oliver, knowing that he’ll be given a new partner in a year's time because I can't give him a child. It’ll break me, I can't lose anyone else."

"Oliver won’t leave you if you can't have children," George assured her kindly.

"You don't know that. He's the heir to a wealthy and respected Pureblood family; I know that he requires an heir. I won’t be, I can’t be the reason that his bloodline ends with him."

"Oliver won't see it that way," Fred spoke. "I suspect it won't be long before he's falling head over heels for you," his mouth pulled into a smirk. "He's terribly jealous, particularly with the way you are around us."

Hermione scoffed. "Why would anyone choose to be with me? If I was him, I would be petitioning for another partner."

"Well he's not because he likes you, told us so himself, he did." George said with a wink. "Trust us, he thinks you're a mystery and let me tell you, you are. We're still trying to figure you out."

"Now, let's stop these water works and get up off the floor and you need to go and get ready for your date with Oliver tonight, he’ll be here in less than two hours."

"It's not a date, I'm meeting his parents," she muttered. The twins looked at her amused.

"We’ll watch Quaffle and make dinner," George said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she replied.

"Why not?" George said in mock hurt.

"Name one time something went wrong when we were cooking," Fred demanded with his arms crossed over his chest.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. And she began listing each point off on her fingers. "Three weeks ago when you set the living room couch on fire; I still have no idea how you managed that. Two weeks ago when you set the curtains on fire...Last week when you set the table on fire...Saturday when you burned the chicken until it was black and crispy and it fell to pieces...Monday when you tried to slip Canary Creams in my dinner and instead you ate them...Tuesday when you..."

"Alright, alright!" Fred said laughing.

"We said name _one_ ," George laughed.

"I could write a book on your cooking failures," she snorted.

"You'd be good at that," Fred said thoughtfully. "Writing a book, I mean. Not about our cooking failures, but maybe something else. You know, share your knowledge with the world."

Hermione shrugged and then they got up off the floor and she went to get ready.

~000~000~000~

Oliver floo’d over to the twins flat to find it empty. He turned when he saw a door open and his eyes widened when Hermione stepped out of her bedroom.

She was wearing a white lace summer dress that fell just above the knees and it had a rounded and modest neckline, with a small pale pink belt around the waist. She wore a pale pink cropped cardigan and he noted that the sleeves covered her arms and she had on a pair of white ballet pumps. She left her hair down in soft and shiny ringlets and it fell to the middle of her back.

Hermione looked at him nervously and tucked some of hair behind her ear. "Do I look okay for meeting your parents?" She asked. He didn't answer her, instead he just stared dumbly with his eyes wide and mouth partially open. "I can go and change," she said, taking his reaction badly and her hand reached for her bedroom door handle.

"Naw, don’," Oliver said quickly and she looked up at him shyly. "Ye look...Well ye look..." He tried to speak but words escaped him.

"Thank you," she said with a blush and ducking her head down. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He looked down at himself and smiled. He was wearing dark blue jeans, white trainers, a white shirt and a black v-neck jumper, which he had rolled up to his elbows.

"You sure I look presentable for...Well for..."

"Meeting me parents?" He said amused and she nodded.

"Ye look perfect. Are ye ready tae go?"

"Almost, I want you to meet someone first. Are you sure you're not allergic to anything because he’ll be living with us?" She asked. He raised a curious eyebrow and nodded. "Okay, brace yourself," Hermione warned. She turned around, got down onro her knees and leaned against her feet and whistled loudly.

Oliver's eyes widened as the fluffiest dog he had ever seen bounded out of Fred's room and barked loudly and excitedly. He made a bee-line for Hermione and she giggled as he jumped up at her and licked her face. Oliver had never heard her giggle before and he felt a smile pull at his mouth at the sound. She lifted the puppy up in her arms and stood up and walked over to Oliver as the dog snuggled against her, licking where he could and she continued to laugh and giggle.

"This is my new friend," Hermione said as she stopped in front of him.

"A dinnae know ye had a dog."

"The twins bought him for me a month ago but they had to wait until he was old enough to be separated from his mother. They gave him to me after I closed up the shop." She said, nuzzling her cheek against the dog's head and he barked happily at the attention he was getting from his new owner. "If you don't like him or want him in your house, he can stay here with the twins, I don’t understand," she said, but he noticed the sadness in her tone, the hope that she wouldn’t have to give him up and leave him behind.

Oliver shook his head. “Naw, it's fine. Ye can bring him, a imagine a’ll become rather fond af him," he said as he lifted his hand to the dog's nose. Quaffle sniffed him before he licked his hand and nibbled at him playfully. Oliver chuckled and Hermione beamed at him and Quaffle's interaction.

"What's his name?"

"You have to guess," she replied.

He looked down at the dog and then back to Hermione. "Please tell mae ye dinnae name him something ridiculous like Fluffy or Mr. Cuddles. The team will never let mae live it down."

Hermione chuckled. "No, he chose his own name and he likes it." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously, watch this." Hermione put him down and he sat down in front of her with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth and they laughed at him. "Frankie? Marcus? Teddy? Quaffle?" He barked happily at the sound of his name and he jumped up at Hermione. She picked him up and cuddled him against her chest.

"Quaffle?" Oliver said with a cocked eyebrow and the dog barked and looked to him. He chuckled and scratched his head and Quaffle licked his hand.

"I like it and so does he. We’ve got to keep up with tradition," she said grinning.

"Hoo old is he?"

"Eight weeks," she replied.

“He seems big fer tha’ age,” he commented.

"He's a Japanese Akita. They’re a large breed of dog. When he's fully grown he can easily reach the height of your hip," she explained. Oliver's eyes widened in shock and he looked at the puppy trying to imagine his size when fully grown and Hermione laughed at him. "Japanese Akitas are a muggle breed of dog, it's why you likely haven't seen or heard of one, but the breeder was a Muggleborn and Quaffle was born around magic along with the rest of his ancestry. According to the breeder, he has the ability to sense emotions, understand who and what's important to me and he can sense danger, and he has a life expectancy of five times what a muggle dog does. Fred and George said that he’s my new guard dog; they're worried that someone may act on some of the death threats in the future, but I think he's adorable," she said, rubbing her cheek against Quaffle's head and he barked happily. "This breed of dog is really affectionate, loving and protective, and they bought him for his size, they couldn't believe the size of his father" she said amused. "He’s already toilet trained and has basic training, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

Oliver had never seen Hermione so happy and he was more than glad to have the dog in his home, especially since she seemed to love it so much.

"Why don' ye bring him with us tae meet mae parents?" He suggested.

"I don't know, won't your parents think it's rude for me to bring a dog into their home?"

Oliver snorted. "Naw, they always wanted a pet when a was growing up, but they never got around tae gettin’ one. They’ll love him," he shrugged.

"Alright then," Hermione beamed. "Just let me write a note to Fred and George and then we can leave."

She put Quaffle down on the ground and wrote a quick message in the note book that was on the coffee table, whilst Oliver crouched down and played with Quaffle, who was on his back with his legs in the air and Oliver laughed as he scratched his stomach. Hermione smiled softly at the sight.

"Where are the Trouble Twosome?" Oliver asked.

"They went out to get some dinner. They said they’d cook tonight so I could get ready. They set the kitchen counter on fire," she said and Oliver laughed.

"Okay, I'm ready," Hermione said.

Oliver stood up and Quaffle rolled over and ran to Hermione. She picked him up and then they floo’d to Wood Manor with Hermione covering Quaffle eyes.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Manor**

They stepped out of the floo and anxiety set in for Hermione. Quaffle looked up at her, sensing her uneasiness and he licked her cheek offering comfort. She looked down at him and scratched his head.

"Ye ready?" Oliver asked.

"Yes...No...I don't know," she sighed.

"Ye don' need tae be nervous," he said amused.

"I can't help it, I’m meeting my future in-laws and all they know about me is what they've read in the newspapers. Who knows what their opinions of me will be?"

Oliver’s eyes darted away from and he put his hands in his pockets, but Hermione was too busy cuddling Quaffle to notice. Her statement wasn't exactly true; he’d been telling his parents about Hermione when they asked and they were glad to know that he seemed to genuinely like her.

"They won't judge ye," he said honestly.

"Do I have to curtsey or something? What do I call them?"

He snorted. "Ye don’ have tae curtsey an’ jus’ call them what ye feel comfortable with. We may be wealthy, but we’re not stuck up prats. Tha's why the dress code isnae formal robes an’ the blood af an innocent," he said amused and she shook her head at him.

She took a deep breath and nodded and Oliver walked down a hall way and into a small and comfortable living room and Hermione walked behind him, slightly obscured by his larger frame. It was decorated in soft blues and creams. It had two large couches in the middle of the room facing each other, a light wooden coffee table in-between them and light wooden flooring and a large fireplace with a plush cream rug in front of it. There were large windows that showed a beautiful view of the grounds and Hermione smiled at how comfortable the room was.

"Ma, Da," Oliver said greeting his parents.

His parents stopped their hushed conversation and stood from the couch, walking towards him. He hugged his mother and kissed her cheek and he gave his father a quick hug before he stepped aside and his parents looked at Hermione appraisingly, smiles pulling at their faces.

"Ye must be Miss. Granger; it's a pleasure tae meet you. A’m Henry an’ this is me wife, Beth," Mr. Wood said with a smile.

Henry Wood had dark brown short hair, dark brown eyes and was smaller than his son, around five-foot-eleven. He like, Oliver, was wearing dark jeans, white trainers, a white shirt and a dark blue v-neck jumper. She could see where Oliver got his looks from.

Beth Wood had blonde shoulder length hair, blue eyes and she was wearing a black knee length skirt, a white silk shirt and three inch black peep toe heels. Given the heels Hermione estimated her height to be five-foot-five. Like her husband, she had kind and soft features and was incredibly beautiful. She understood why Oliver was as handsome as he was.

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Wood," she said politely, smiling. She was surprised when Mrs. Wood pulled her into a hug even more so when Mr. Wood did the same. Oliver chuckled at her expression.

"An’ who is this handsome wee guy?" Mrs. Wood asked, cooing at Quaffle, who barked excitedly at meeting new people.

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is Quaffle. He was given to me as a gift," Hermione said, smiling down at the dog in her arms. "I hope you don't think me rude bringing him with me unannounced. I just didn't want to leave him alone since my roommates were out and Oliver suggested we bring him along."

"Oh, don' be silly, Dear," Mrs. Wood said smiling and scratching Quaffle's head. "He’s adorable, an’ he just like ye, is always welcome in our home," she said kindly.

Hermione smiled and sighed in relief. _'So far so good,'_ she thought.

"What's his name?" Mr. Wood asked.

"Quaffle," she answered. They laughed as the dog barked happily at hearing his name.

"Ye can put him doon, ye know," Mr. Wood said amused.

"Sorry, I just wasn't sure. With him being a puppy and in a new environment, I don't want him to chew anything."

"Oh, don' worry aboot it, Dear," Mrs Wood said, cooing at Quaffle. "May a?" She gestured to him.

"Oh, of course," Hermione said, before handing Quaffle over to Mrs. Wood. He barked and licked her face and she laughed lightly.

Oliver smiled at seeing his family getting along with Hermione. They walked over to the couches and Hermione sat next to Oliver on one and Mr. and Mrs. Wood sat on the other one opposite them. Mrs. Wood put Quaffle down on the couch and he jumped onto Mr. Wood's lap and barked at him.

"Quaffle!" Hermione scolded.

"Don' worry aboot it; he can do whatever he wants in this house," Mr. Wood chuckled, rubbing the dog's stomach when he rolled over onto his back, clearly displaying what he wanted.

"So, Miss. Granger..."

"Please, call me Hermione," she interrupted with a smile.

"Hermione," Mrs. Wood smiled. "Tell us aboot yerself. We have, of course, read aboot ye in the papers and Oliver has told us a lot aboot ye," she said. Oliver looked everywhere but at Hermione. "But we would like tae know more aboot ye, giving the track record af the press, nothin’ written in the papers can be trusted."

"There isn't a lot to know but I will try," Hermione replied and Oliver rolled his eyes at her. His parents caught his reaction and he shrugged at them when they raised their eyebrows. "I’m eighteen years old, I live with Fred and George Weasley and I work in their joke shop.”

"Ye live an’ work with The Weasley Twins? What does tha’ entail?" Mr. Wood asked curiously.

"Between three us, we run the shop. I help the customers, work at the counter, restock the shelves and do inventory, and I work in the back making products with the twins and I’ve created a few products myself. The twins were over the moon when they’d discovered I was able to produce their products. They had tried to hire new staff to work in production but no one seemed to be able to follow their instructions and recipes, claiming that they were too difficult."

"But ye could?" Mr. Wood said sounding impressed.

"Yes, Sir, I could. The twins recipes aren’t all that complicated, it’s the way in which they’ve documented their instructions that people find difficult to understand. But I know the twins better than anyone, I understand them. There’s a method to their madness and that’s what people find difficult to comprehend, but I understand it perfectly. I’ve even found a way to improve a few of their recipes to decrease production time and increase their results. We can now make products in half the time we could before, meaning we can make twice the merchandise in a single day.” They looked at her bewildered and Oliver’s mouth twitched in amusement.

"An’ ye mentioned designing products af yer own?"

"Yes, they’re in the final testing stages but the results have been promising. Once the testing is over we’ll promote them and hopefully have them on sale before the students return to Hogwarts."

"Can ye give us an example?"

"I probably shouldn't but the twins are always spilling secrets,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I’ve designed and created a product named Godric's Glue."

"An’ what does tha’ do?" He asked intrigued and he leaned forward, still scratching Quaffle's stomach.

"To put it simply, it’s an edible Sticking Charm and once eaten, you’ll stick to the person closest to you. Depending on the amount eaten, the amount of people involved varies. However, this product won’t work on anyone who is or was sorted into Gryffindor house. They’re immune and would just be eating a regular hard boiled sweet," she explained. They looked at her amazed.

“Hoo did ye manage tae get it tae differentiate between houses?" Mrs. Wood asked in wonder.

"Through a series of complex arithmancy equations, potions and charms," Hermione answered.

"But ye cannae put charms on potions. It’ll either spoil the potion or be ineffective," Mr. Wood said confused.

"That’s correct,” she nodded. “That's why we charm the ingredients first and then brew the potion."

"Tha’s brilliant," he muttered and Hermione blushed under his praise.

"Do ye see yerself working at the shop in the future?" Mrs. Wood asked.

"I’m honestly not sure. I’ll be cutting back my hours soon."

"Why?" Mr. Wood said with a frown. He hoped to Merlin that she didn’t have plans of being a galleon digger and expect that Oliver would provide for her with his well earned fortune.

"Well, I’m not returning to Hogwarts, the reason being why I’m eligible for the law. I couldn't and can't face going back there, not after what happened. It wouldn't be the same." They nodded in understanding. "So, Professor McGonagall and Minister Shacklebolt have made arrangements for me to take my NEWTs at The Ministry in January. I’ll be cutting back my hours so I have more free time to study and prepare for my examinations. Fred and George have assured me that I could take my NEWTs now and pass, but I’m not taking any chances." She smiled at them with an understanding look. 

Mr. Wood felt guilty for assuming the worst about her, it had been a knee-jerk reaction when he’d heard her plans. "A'm sorry fer me assumptions," he said apologetically. Oliver looked at the two of them confused.

"What assumptions?" he asked, but they ignored him.

"It’s perfectly fine, Mr. Wood; I understand you’re looking out for your son's best interests, but you have nothing to worry about. I originate from a well off family and I’ve gained my inheritance from my Grandfather. I also have the money that was awarded to me along with my Order of Merlin: First Class, and my wages from working at the shop. I have my own wealth, I have no use for Oliver’s."

Their eyes widened and Oliver looked at her surprised. He wasn't aware that she was wealthy or that she’d been given the biggest award available in the Wizarding World.

"We were not aware," Mr. Wood spoke, his eyes alight with respect and pride.

"I don't make my financial standing public knowledge. The only people that know are The Weasleys and now you. Fred and George were the only people that knew about the Order of Merlin: First Class; I received a letter a week before the marriage law was instigated from Minister Shacklebolt. I will be officially awarded with the title during the celebration ball in September," she said blushing furiously.

"When were ye gunna tell mae?" Oliver asked her.

"I wasn't, at least not yet, not now," she sighed. "It was war, not some competition or contest. I didn’t do what I did for to win a pretty medal; I did it because it was the right thing to do. I did it to protect the future of our world, to preserve everything that is good and beautiful about magic. I did it so others wouldn’t have to live in fear, and so children wouldn’t be subjected to the childhood I had,” she explained, looking down at the ground and fiddling with her fingers in her lap. “I don’t want to attend the celebration ball and have everyone staring at me. I don’t want to be surrounded by the press and have a panic attack like the last time I was in public and ambushed. I’m only going because I owe Minister Shacklebolt a favour and then my debt will be cleared," she tapered off, the room falling into silence as they all watched her with sad eyes.

"So, Hermione?" Mrs. Wood spoke, clearing her throat and changing the subject. "Why do ye live with Fred an’ George?"

She looked up to them, a grateful look on her face for the chance in conversation. “I know that the war is over, but a lot of landlords are still a little funny with Muggleborns and therefore they won’t lease a flat to us. I moved out of The Burrow as I didn't want to take advantage of their kindness, no matter how much they assured me they were more than happy to have me. But I did so the press wouldn’t know where to find me. They wouldn’t stop breaking through the wards so they could get onto the property and to me. The twins asked me to move in with them and after a day of arguments, I finally gave in, but regardless, I didn’t have a choice; they stole my belongings and locked me in and wouldn’t let me leave until I unpacked,” she said, a smile pulling at her mouth and they chuckled at her. “It’s a struggle to leave the shop and go out in public, the press is always waiting for me so I have to glamour myself or have one of the twins with me.”

"A'm sorry tae hear tha’," Mrs. Wood spoke, looking at her future daughter-in-law concerned.

"Oh, don't be, it isn't your fault. But I imagine it's only going to get worse when my engagement to Oliver is leaked. I'm surprised it's been kept a secret this long."

"A can imagine it won't be easy," Mrs. Wood nodded in agreement.

"Well I’m glad to have Oliver as a match," she said honestly. Three heads snapped to her, one more surprised than the others.

"Ye are?" The three asked in perfect unrehearsed unison.

"Yes, I am. The Weasleys worried that I would be paired with a former Death Eater or Pureblood supremacist." Mr. and Mrs. Wood look at her in horror, only just realising that it could've been a possibility. "The twins seemed happy with the match since they knew Oliver from school. They knew he wouldn't hurt me."

"It's mae they should be worried aboot," Oliver scoffed and his parents looked at him in confusion.

"Why's tha’, Dear?" His mother asked.

"She hexed mae on our first date," he replied. Their eyes widened and they looked at Hermione in disbelief as she nodded unapologetically.

"I did, but to be fair, he asked me to demonstrate my specialty hex for him and I did."

His parents burst out laughing and Oliver looked at them in surprise.

"Well then, if he asked fer it..." His father said chuckling and Oliver blinked, unsure whether he should be offended or not that his father found so much amusement in his soon to be wife hexing him.

Quaffle sensing Oliver's confusion and surprise jumped down from the couch and waddled over to him. He licked his hand and Oliver looked down at the large puppy. He chuckled and picked him up and sat him on his knee as he scratched him behind his ears.

"Are there any other reasons ye are glad tae be matched with Oliver?" Mrs. Wood asked.

Oliver turned his eyes to Hermione, being curious about her answer himself and he was amused to see her pink cheeks.

"Well," she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "You’ve raised a wonderful son," she said and his parents smiled at the compliment. "I know he won't hurt me and that he’ll respect me. He has assured both my family and I that he won't stop me from working, and I know he can handle the media, as well as the pressure that we’ll both be under. I’ve barely known Oliver fortnight and already I know that he’s kind and selfless. He’s a gentleman and he’s determined and willing to try anything. I took him to the Muggle World, completely out of his comfort zone, and he took everything in stride," she said proudly and Oliver's chest puffed out and his parents smirked and shared a knowing look. She hadn’t once made mention of his looks or his wealth.

"Tell us aboot yer parents, Hermione. What do they do? Hoo do they feel aboot yer upcoming nuptials tae Oliver, a’m sure it must be a surprise fer them." Mr. Wood spoke. Hermione flinched and a look of heartbreak flittered across her face for a small moment before it disappeared.

"They aren't around anymore," she said.

"Why?" He questioned.

"They jus’ aren't," Oliver said, sending his father a glare and it stopped him from pressing the subject.

"So, Hermione, hoo are the wedding plans coming along?" Mrs. Wood asked.

"They’re coming along well, I assume Mrs. Weasley has owled you?"

"Aye, she has, we’re meeting up for lunch tae go over the to do list. There’s much tae do an’ such little time tae do it," she spoke smiling.

"I know; the wedding just seems to be approaching quicker each day," Hermione said, her face paling slightly at the thought of her up and coming nuptials.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 28

**Wood Manor – Thursday 2nd July 1998**

Hermione and Oliver laughed as Hermione put Quaffle down and he ran through the grass, barking happily as he made for the lake, with them walking slowly behind them. After spending a little more time with his parents, Oliver had wanted to take Hermione back to the lake so they could watch the sunset.

They reached a spot not too far from the lake and Oliver removed his v-neck jumper and transfigured it into a blanket, laying it on the ground for them to sit on. They chuckled and shook their heads as they watched Quaffle put his paw in the water, splash water about before he jumped in and began swimming around.

"Brilliant, I only got him this evening and he's going to need a bath," she sighed and he snorted at her.

Hermione laid down on her back and looked up at the sky with Oliver following her actions and doing the same, lying down beside her.

"Were ye ever gunna tell mae aboot yer hidden wealth?" He asked her.

"It never came up, but when it did I would've told you. Why, does it matter?" She replied.

"Naw, it doesn’t, but in order fer our soon tae be marriage tae work, we have tae be honest with each other."

"I haven't lied to you," she responded.

"But yer keeping things from mae."

"Only the things that are too painful to talk about. I promised you I would tell you and I will, but only when I’m ready to relive the memories."

"A'm sure they aren't tha’ bad," he said softly.

"They are, Oliver, and if you knew half of the things that have happened to me...I wouldn't blame you for wanting to petition The Ministry for a new match."

"A wouldn't do tha’," he said with a frown.

"I would if I were you," she said honestly. "I’d petition for someone less damaged, less scarred and more beautiful, someone more suitable."

Oliver turned onto his side, supported himself on his elbow and he leaned over her so his head was above hers and he was looking down at her. She startled at his quick movements.

"Yer beautiful an’ yer not damaged, jus’ troubled," he said sincerely. She blushed at the expression he wore on his face as it hovered over hers. "As fer bein’ scarred, what do ye mean? Mentally? Emotionally? Physically?"

"All of the above," she admitted in a whisper.

"A’ll help ye tae deal with the mental an’ emotional scars, but the physical scars are jus’ scars, marking on ye body. Yer’ve survived a war an’ they show tha’ yer strong. They don’ change anything. A have scars, tae."

"Yes, but I bet yours are from your childhood and from playing Quidditch."

"They are,” he nodded. “Which makes them meaningless, whereas yers tell a story. Can a see them?" He asked and she shook her head. "Why?"

"They’re not the nicest things to look at. I’m not ready to show you yet, and they’re in places I wouldn't generally show to the public," she said and he chuckled.

"What aboot yer arms? A've noticed ye always cover them up," he said and it wasn’t hard to miss the way she flinched.

"No," she said shaking her head and he frowned. "The worst of them all is on my left arm. Fred and George haven't even seen it," she said sadly. He felt a twinge of hope in him; maybe he would be the first person she would show it to.

"Even with scars yer beautiful," he said honestly and she blushed and shook her head. "Ye are,"

"You haven't seen them," she whispered sadly. "They’re horrendous."

"A doubt it,"

To stop her protests, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers softly. Instead of pulling away like he’d done with their previous kisses, he moved his lips against hers, encouraging her to respond and she did, after getting over her shock. She brought her hand up and rested it against his cheek, her thumb brushing over cheek bone gently and they action made his stomach drop.

He kissed her with slightly more force, testing the waters and Hermione reciprocated happily. He resisted the urge to slip his tongue into her mouth as to not scare her and he brought his other hand up to rest against her hip and he squeezed gently. Hermione sighed against his mouth and he smiled, until they were both jumped on by an over excited and soaking puppy, forcing them to pull away from each other. They both gasped in shock and laughed when Quaffle shook himself, sending water flying everywhere, including over them.

Oliver leaned back over Hermione, smiling as Quaffle draped himself over Hermione and licked her face.

"A don' think he likes mae takin’ away yer attention," he said amused and chuckling.

Hermione laughed. "Well, he’ll have to get used to it," she replied, scratching the puppy behind his ears before he barked and climbed off her, running back over to the lake and diving in happily. They laughed at him.

"I’ll never be able to get him back to the flat," she sighed.

"Tha's okay; a saw the way me parents was looking at him. They’d gladly keep him here," he said amused.

"They’re not getting my puppy," she said with a straight face and he chuckled at her.

"A didnae think ye would let them have him, yer like a momma bear," he said amused. She raised an eyebrow at him. "It's in yer nature tae look after people, a've seen it. The way ye are with Fred and George, the way ye were in school, an’ the way ye are with Quaffle," he said fondly. He knew she would be a good mother and he found that it didn't bother him to think about having children with her.

"Do you want to play a game?" She asked him.

"What game?"

"Twenty questions but with a twist"

"An’ what’s the twist?" He asked intrigued.

"Instead of answering the questions ourselves, we each have to answer for each the other what we think their answer might possibly be. This way we’re forced to think like each other and we have to use what we’ve learned of each other so far to predict our answers."

"Okay, let's do it," he nodded.

"You can go first," she offered.

"Alright then, favourite flower?" He asked. "A’m gunna go with roses."

She shook her head. “No, and I don't think you have one."

"Yer right, a don'. What's yers then if it isnae roses?"

"Sunflowers,” she answered. “They seem to be everywhere and no matter what you do, they grow back and they grow in the most difficult of weathers. They’re survivors," she said. He smiled taking into account her answer and filing it away for later. "Favourite food? Let's see, I’ll say yours is spaghetti bolognaise."

He shook his head. "It’s not, but a’m gunna say yers is a Sunday roast." She shook her head, indicating he was wrong. "Mine’s beef stew. Yers?"

"Chicken poppet wraps," she replied.

"What? A don’ even know what tha’ is."

"It's something I invented when I was a child. It’s basically tortilla wraps filled with beans and sausages, chicken poppet balls and mayonnaise. It’s amazing and I’ve been eating them since I was eight years old. It’s my specialty meal so I usually make it at least once a week, especially since the twins have taken a liking to them.”

"Ye'll have tae make it fer mae," he commented.

"Oh believe me, I will. I can't go without my chicken poppet wraps," she said and he shook his head at her with a chuckle.

"Okay next, favourite dessert? A’m gunna say yers is treacle tart."

She shook her head. "No, but I’m going to go with cake and banana custard for yours."

"Hoo’d ye know?" He asked surprised.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn’t really, it was just a guess, but it’s my favourite, too. It’s simple and I loved when the elves made it at Hogwarts. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember seeing you chose that over the other choices after dinner once. You weren’t sitting too far down from me so I could easily see you,” she mused and he looked at her in surprise. “Right, it’s my turn, favourite book? I think yours is _Quidditch Through The Ages_."

"An’ ye would be right,” he nodded. He wasn’t as surprised at her getting that one right, given his passion for Quidditch he would’ve been disappointed if she’d chosen anything else. “A know yes is _Hogwarts, a History_." He said confidently.

"How’d you know?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

He chuckled. "Whenever a saw ye around school, ye always had yer nose buried in it. It always made mae laugh when a saw ye walking doon the corridors an’ everyone would jus’ move oot af yer way." She snorted at him. "Favourite fruit? A think yers is an apple."

"Correct, I think yours are blueberries," she replied.

"Naw, apples tae,o" he grinned at her. "Can a ask ye a question?"

"That's the whole point of the game," she said amused and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Naw, a mean a question tha’ isnae a part af the game." She looked at him curiously and nodded. "Ye said tha’ ye were allergic tae nuts an’ coconut, what happens if ye were tae eat them?"

"I don't just have to eat them to be affected by them. If I touch them, eat them, or inhale the powder or dust off them, I’ll go into anaphylactic shock."

"What's tha’?"

"It's my body's reaction to coming into contact with nuts and coconut. It affects people in different ways and some may suffer more than others, especially if they’re not treated correctly or quickly enough. My throat may close up and I may have breathing difficulties, My tongue can swell up or I might break out in hives and my face may swell, too, and I could vomit or have abdominal pains."

His eyes widened, not expecting so many outcomes or the severity of them. "Hoo are ye treated? What if it happens when yer oot?"

Hermione lifted her hand and opened her beaded bag which she had put a Disillusionment Charm on. She pulled out her epi-pen and she showed it to him.

"This is my epinephrine pen, epi-pen for short. It’s very easy to use. If I ever suffer from an allergic reaction, all you have to do it take this, give it a shake and remove the lid. You then put it against my skin, either on my thigh or hip, and you push this button on the end of the pen with your thumb and count to ten. After you then remove the pen, put the lid back on and push the pen down against a hard surface to reset it, and that’s it. Do you think you can remember that?" She asked him. He nodded seriously, remembering everything she’d said and committing it to memory. "I always have one with me, as does Fred and George. I’ll probably give one, too, for emergencies."

"If ye don' get this in time, what will happen?"

"I could die," she answered.

"I'll remember," he promised softly.

"I trust you," she said softly and he smiled widely at the statement. "Now, back to the game and I believe it’s my turn. Favourite meat for a dinner? I think yours is lamb."

"Correct, a gunna go with beef fer yers."

"No, mine’s lamb, too. It’s your turn," she said.

"Favourite wild animal? A think yers is an elephant."

She shook her head. “It’s not, and I think yours is a lion."

"Hoo’d ye know?" He asked.

"Gryffindor," she said, shrugging her shoulders and pointing at him, chuckling at his frown. "Why did you think mine would be an elephant?" She asked curiously.

"From what a learned on tha’ trip around the zoo, elephants are family orientated an’ wise, much like ye are."

Hermione smiled. "My favourite wild animal is an owl."

"Owls aren't wild animals," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"They are in the Muggle World," she replied and he chuckled at her.

"Why?"

"They’re wise and represent transition, mystery, protection and intelligence. They’re thought to be sacred to Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom. And they’re free; they can soar through the clouds as high as they want, they can go where they want, they get to make choices in life and no one controls them. To me they represent freedom, which is something I've never had. We may use them as familiars and messengers, but they’re still free. We don’t force them to stay with us, they choose to.”

"Alright, it’s yer turn now," he reminded.

"Let’s go with, favourite domestic animal? I think yours is a dog," she spoke.

"Then ye’d be correct. A'm not sure aboot ye,” he admitted. “A’ll say a dog seeing as ye have one."

"I don't actually have a favourite. I used to have a cat for my familiar, his name was Crookshanks but he died in the war," she said sadly. "What about you, did you have a familiar?"

"A had an owl when a was a child, he died af old age a few years back. His name was Feathers." She giggled at him. "A was six when a named him," he defended, but he had no malice or hurt in his tone, and he marvelled in her giggling.

"I’m sorry, but Feathers? Seriously?" She giggled loudly.

Oliver playfully scowled at her as he sat up and before Hermione had registered what had happened, he was tickling her and she was squealing and laughing loudly, trying to wriggle free from his attack.

"Quaffle! Help me!" She squealed through her laughter.

They heard him bark and he ran over to them, jumped on top of Hermione and she squealed as Quaffle playfully growled at Oliver and then he turned his attention to Hermione and began licking her face as Oliver continued to tickle her whilst laughing at her.

"Quaffle, you’re meant to protect me, not like me! Traitor!” She said through squeals and laughter, but he continued to lick her and Oliver didn’t relent in his tickling attack either, Quaffle weight helping to pin her down and keeping her in place.

~000~000~000~

Unbeknownst to them, Mr. and Mrs. Wood had decided to follow them to the lake and see how the two interacted without company. They’d just arrived and they were smiling widely and chuckling as they watched Hermione being _attacked_ by both Oliver and Quaffle with no sign of either of them letting up as the laughing witch was pinned to the ground by the large puppy.

"She's perfect fer him," Mrs. Wood said wistfully. "A never thought he would find someone."

"He's only twenty-two, Beth," Mr. Wood chuckled. "A've known wizards tae not find the one they're destined tae be with until they were one hundred an’ ten years old."

"Still, they’re perfect fer each other; a’m grateful they were paired tagether. Ye can see it in the way they are now, they love each other."

"Let's not get ahead af ourselves," he said amused.

"But they do, jus’ look at them. They may not realise it yet but they do love each other."

"A still think yer poking at somethin’ tha’ isnae yet there."

"When did ye realise ye loved me?" She asked her husband, already knowing the answer as he told her often.

It was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He wasn’t afraid to tell her how he felt and he always showered her with love and affection. Even when they were younger and Oliver had yet to be born, he was never afraid of what others would say to him. He was never embarrassed about admitting his feels for her, even in front of his friends who’d taunt and tease him relentlessly.

"A knew from the moment a met ye tha’ a would marry ye an’ love ye fer the rest af mae life," he said honestly and she smiled at him.

"As did a, an’ tha's hoo a know they love each other. They jus’ havnae realised it yet," she sighed, leaning into her husband’s side. "They’ll be a beautiful family, an’ a cannae wait fer them tae have children an’ fer a’thing tae fall in tae place."

"Yer gettin’ way ahead af yerself,” he said, shaking his head at his wife fondly. “Let's leave them tae it an’ head back inside."

~000~000~000~

"Do ye admit tha’ ye were making fun af me six year old self?" Oliver asked playfully.

"Yes," she said through her laughter.

"Do ye promise not tae do it again?" He asked. She didn't answer and he smirked. "Do ye promise not tae do it again?" He repeated amused.

"I promise not to do it again _tonight_ ," she said. He snorted at her.

"Well, tha’s as good as a’m gunna get.”He relented in tickling her and he laid down beside her once more as she struggled to get her breath back, and Quaffle jumped off her and ran back over to the lake to chase after the ducks.

"That was mean," she said, turning her head to look at him.

"It was justified an’ now a know tha’ yer ticklish, tha’ can come in handy," he replied. She scowled at him and he chuckled.

"You're forgetting I know more hexes than there are listed in the books in the Hogwarts library." His face dropped. “Exactly, my dear, Ollie," she smirked.

"Ollie?" He questioned and she shrugged in response. "It sounds weird," he said scrunching his face up and Hermione laughed at how cute he looked.

"You don't like it?" She asked playfully.

"Naw, a don’,"

"Too bad, Ollie" she said, he scowled at her. "Ollie...Ollie...Ollie,” she sang.

He leaned down and kissed her again, cutting off her speech. His hand buried itself in her soft curls, while hers went to his cheek and the side of his neck. He happily deepened the kiss, still restraining himself from reaching out and licking her lip and slipping his tongue into her mouth. He pulled away slightly and stared into her large, soft chocolate brown eyes, which he was sure, would be the end of him.

"Do you really hate it?" She questioned quietly.

"When other people call me it a do, but with you, a suppose it isnae so bad. Yer different, Hermione," he admitted softly, pushing some of her hair away from her face tenderly.

"You called me Hermione," she said quietly in surprise. He’d never called her that!

He smiled at her softly. "A did,” he nodded. “What do people call ye?"

"Some used to call me ‘Mione or Hermy, but I hated it. Fred and George call me Mia, but everyone else just uses my name."

"Then a guess a have tae be creative," he muttered against her mouth before he kissed her again sweetly. She sighed happily and he pulled away and looked at her with a soft smile. "A've got it," he said triumphantly.

"Hmm?" She hummed in question.

"Sparrow," he answered proudly.

"Sparrow?"

"Aye, sparrow. A've been reading up on animals an’ their symbolic meanings since yer gunna teach mae hoo tae cast a patronus. A read aboot the sparrow an’ it symbolises adaptability, problem solving an’ bein’ able tae cope in hard situations. People go tae ye in the hardest af times fer support an’ ye have the ability ta calm people, even withoot realising yer doin’ it. Yer calm an’ collected unless ye feel threatened. Sparrows are protective an’ unique an’ mysterious. It’s perfect fer ye," he said and Hermione smiled softly. "An’ they’re small," he added.

"I’m not small, I’m average height, thank you very much," she said, playfully sniffing in disdain and scowling at him. He laughed at her. "You should do that more often."

"What?" He asked smiling.

"That," she said, using her finger to trace his lips and the corner of his mouth twitched at the action. "Smile and laugh. You're too serious all the time. Take it from someone who didn't have the opportunity to laugh and smile, life’s too short to be serious. You love your job, it's your dream. And yes, you should take it seriously, but you should enjoy it, too. You’ll get the most out of life that way. Besides, you look handsome when you smile."

"A do?" He asked smugly.

"Alright, you’ll not be getting compliments from me if your ego’s going to inflate," she spoke and he smiled at her cheekily.

"Ye really are wise beyond yer years," he said quietly.

At that point Quaffle came running over to them and he flopped down on the end of the blanket and fell asleep close to their feet. Hermione chuckled and then turned her attention back to Oliver.

"I've lived through a war; I’ve plenty of life lessons and rules to teach you."

"Such as?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Rule number three...Never eat my digestive biscuits unless I offer you one," she said seriously and he laughed at her.

"A'm guessing they’e a muggle biscuit an’ someone ate one withoot yer permission."

"George,” she nodded. “I Bat Bogied him until he ran into a wall and knocked himself unconscious," she said and he burst out laughing.

"A’ll take tha’ in tae account. Any more rules?"

"Only about sixty of them,"

"Should a take notes?" He asked playfully.

"That would be best for your safety," she nodded and he chuckled at her.

"Well, thanks fer the warning, a’ve a feeling a needed it."

They both stared at each other with soft looks on their faces as he was still leaning over her, from his place laid by her side. They both felt a major shift in their relationship and knew that their feelings for each other had deepened.

"A wanted tae talk tae ye aboot somethin’," he said.

"We are talking," she frowned in confusion.

"Aboot somethin’ else, somethin’ important."

“Alright, what is it?”

"A wanted tae talk aboot ye moving in with mae...Before the wedding." He noticed her eyes widen and a panicked expression crossed her face, so he rushed to explained himself. "Jus’ hear mae oot?" He pleaded and she nodded, stunned. "We’re getting married in less than a month, if ye move in with mae now we’ll have the chance tae get used tae each other, tae learn each others' habits an’ learn tae over look them. We’ll learn tae be comfortable around each other, an’ by the time the wedding comes around we can transition smoothly in tae the marriage phase withoot a problem. We can get on with our lives withoot any interruptions, but if we wait until after the wedding tae move ye in, we’ll be walkin’ on egg shells around each other, an’ tha’ not what a want fer us."

"It makes sense," she said quietly.

"But?" He prompted, having the feeling there was more she wished to say.

"I don't know if I'm ready to leave Fred and George yet," she said softly, not wanting to upset him. "They’re the only people I’ve ever been able to count on not to leave me, or to be angry with me for something I did to keep them safe. I have too much to do before I leave, and I have to prepare the twins for it and teach them how to look after themselves. I’m not having them living off food from The Leaky Cauldron and Mrs. Weasley." She noticed his features pulled into a frown and sighed. "But I’ll talk to them and see what they think about it."

He smiled widely. "Tha's all a ask," he said quietly.

"Where do you live?" She asked, realising that she didn’t know.

"In an apartment in London, so ye won't be far away from the twins."

"An apartment? Are you sure there’s enough space for Quaffle? And what about the landlord? Will he allow Quaffle in the building? I know some landlords can be funny about having animals in their properties."

Oliver chuckled at her. "A promise there’s enough space fer him, even when he gets tae the size af a small hippogriff. An’ me landlord’s fine with Quaffle living with us."

"How do you know?"

"Trust mae, a know."

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Oliver floo’d into the twins’ flat to see the living room empty, and he was carrying a sleeping Hermione in his arms. He smiled down at her softly and Quaffle was stood by his side, his tail wagging back and forth and his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.

Oliver walked into Hermione's room and curiously his eyes took in his surroundings. It was simple, with a white wardrobe, chest of drawers and beside table and a double bed. The walls were white and it had cream carpeting. There were books stacked on top of each other covering half of the floor, her bedside table and the top of her chest of drawers. He smiled and shook his head; he hadn’t expected anything else. He walked over to her bed and carefully laid her down in the middle of the mattress, where he removed her bag and put it on the floor and he transfigured her clothing into a long sleep shirt. He covered her with her blanket and then lifted Quaffle onto the bed.

"Keep her safe from her nightmares," he said quietly, and as if to prove he had magical abilities, the dog nodded and then laid down in front of Hermione.

Hermione sighed and put her arm around Quaffle and she snuggled against him. Oliver chuckled and walked out of the room and closed the door.

"What were you doing in there, Oliver?" Fred and George said in unison and Oliver startled and turned to glare at the smirking twins.

"Don' do tha’," he hissed. "A could've woken Hermione."

"Hermione, eh?" Fred said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well tha’ is her name," Oliver replied.

"Yeah, but you call her ‘Granger.’ Why the sudden change?" George asked amused.

"A have tae go, a’ve trainin’," he muttered. "Her shoes are in her bag."

The twins laughed as he stormed over to the fireplace and floo’d home. Fred closed the floo network for the night and they peaked their heads into Hermione's room to check on her. They smiled when they saw her cuddled up with Quaffle, who looked at them when the door opened.

"Watch out for her, Quaffle," George said, once more the dog nodded.

They closed the door behind them. "Best gift we’ve ever given" Fred said proudly and George nodded in agreement.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizards Wheezes - Friday 3rd July, 1998**

Hermione was sat the kitchen table with the twins eating dinner. They’d a busy day and she was exhausted.

"What's the matter, Mia?" Fred asked her; she’d been acting strangely all day.

"Nothing," she muttered.

"We know you, Mia; did you really think that would work?" George said with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione sighed and pushed her untouched plate of food away from her. "It's Oliver," she spoke.

"What did he do?" George stiffened, gripping his fork tightly in his hand a slight growl wrapping around his words.

"We saw him sneaking out of your room last night. If he hurt you, I swear..." Fred said in a dangerous tone.

"He hasn't done anything," she defended and they both calmed at her words. "I fell asleep and he put me to bed last night, that's it," she rolled her eyes.

"Then what's the matter?" Fred asked confused.

"He wants me to move in with him," she admitted.

"Well you don't have a choice," George said bitterly, thinking of the stipulations of the law Hermione was being forced to follow.

"No, he wants me to move in with him now, before the wedding."

They stared at her. "What?" They both whispered.

"He wants me to move in with him so that we can learn to be comfortable around each other. After the wedding he wants us to be able to transition into our marriage easily and comfortably without any interruptions."

"What do you think?" George asked her quietly.

She bit her lip. "It makes sense, there shouldn't be any awkwardness, but I'm not ready to leave. I only have twenty-seven days till my wedding and I don't want to leave you yet. I love living with you; you’re my family," she said sadly and a tear fell down her cheek.

Fred and George stood up and walked around the table to her side. They pulled her out of her seat and hugged her between them.

"We’ll always be family no matter where you live and we’ll always love you. You’re our little sister," Fred said softly and she cried into his shirt.

"I think you should do it. We’ll miss you, but your happiness comes first and you get to that point by taking chances," George said, rubbing circles on her back comfortingly.

"But I'm happy here," she sniffled.

"And you can't stay here forever, as much as we want you to, you can't," Fred said sadly.

"But we’ll see you every day and we’ll visit you all the time. Like we said, you can't get rid of us," George said.

"So I'm doing it?"

"You're doing it," they confirmed and she cried louder.

"I have so much to do."

"We'll help you get everything sorted," Fred said.

"No, I have so much to do for you. I have so much cooking to do to last you at least a week." They laughed at her.

"Owl Oliver and let him know the news, you can use one of the shop owls," George said.

She nodded, pulled away from them, kissed their cheeks and walked away into her bedroom with Quaffle following behind her. The twins looked at each other sadly.

"She's leaving," Fred whispered.

"We knew this was coming."

"Yeah, but I thought we still had a month to prepare."

"Oliver's right, it's what‘s best for her. We want her to be happy and comfortable, and moving in with him before the wedding might even encourage her to open up to him. There's still things she's hiding from us and maybe she’ll tell him. She can't get better unless she learns to deal with the past, and Oliver can help her with that."

"We promised to take care of her," Fred muttered.

"And we have taken care of her, but now it's Oliver's turn. Just because she's getting married doesn't mean we can't still protect her. You know, usual big Weasley Twin brother's protection?"

Fred smiled slightly at his twin's words. "If he hurts her..."

"Then we'll make him regret it for the rest of his life. No one hurts, Mia. Not now, not ever." George promised.

~000~000~000~

Oliver stepped out of the floo to see Hermione and the twins sat in the living room on the floor around the coffee table and playing a muggle game of cards. Quaffle was draped over Hermione's crossed legs, but when he saw Oliver he bounded over to him and Oliver scratched his head. He noticed the sombre tension in the air and Hermione's tear stained face and he walked slowly towards them.

"Oliver," the three greeted in unrehearsed unison and he blinked in surprise and then shook his head.

"Fred, George, Hermione," he greeted and then he sat down next to Hermione, with Quaffle climbing back onto Hermione's crossed legs.

"What we playing?"

"Poker, it's a muggle game," Fred said and then he groaned when they all put their hands down on table and Hermione smirked at them, and took the winnings from the middle of the coffee table; the winnings being a huge pile of muggle and wizarding candy.

Hermione picked up a sugar quill and handed a liquorice wand to Oliver, knowing that it was his favourite. He smiled and took it.

"Want to play?" She asked, as she shuffled the deck of cards and nibbled on her sugar quill.

"Okay," he agreed.

"Great, I'll teach you," she said and she dealt out the cards.

It didn't take long for Hermione to teach him how to play and he was soon playing his own hand. And it didn't take long for Hermione to wipe the floor with all three of them.

"Yer cheating. Ye have tae be," Oliver said, after thirty minutes of playing and getting beaten for the umpteenth time. In all honesty, he’d lost count.

"No, I'm not," she spoke, shuffling the deck again as it was her turn to deal the next hand.

"I agree with Oliver, you're cheating," Fred said, eyeing her strangely while George watched her hands carefully as she dealt out the cards.

"No, I'm not. Cheaters never prosper and cheaters only cheat themselves," she shrugged. “You’re all just rubbish and I can tell when you’re bluffing.”

Oliver finally decided to broach the subject of Hermione moving in with him.

"So, are ye sure ye want tae move in with me?" He asked and he threw out the cards he didn't want and Hermione gave him the correct amount in return.

"We've all spoken about it and we’ve agreed it's the best chance we have of making our marriage work," Hermione replied.

"Don't think that because she isn't living here anymore that we won't be visiting and making sure our Mia's happy," Fred said seriously.

"Yeah, and that means we're having dinner at yours at least four times a week," George informed him.

"Four times a week? Don' threaten mae," Oliver joked and it broke some of the tension and they all laughed. "A don' expect Hermione tae cut ye oot af her life, anno what ye mean tae her an’ how important ye are in her life. It jus’ means tha’ a have tae be prepared tae allow ye twa in tae me apartment. A’ll be checking ev’ry room ev’ry night fer any hidden joke products."

"Yes, you will," the twins promised.

"Although it's not us you should be worried about," Fred said, looking pointedly to Hermione and she smiled innocently at Oliver and he shivered slightly in fear.

"Now you're getting it," George chuckled.

"I know I said I wanted to move in now, but I want to wait a few days. Sometime next week, maybe? That way we'll still have three weeks and I have time to prepare the twins for my leaving."

"Prepare?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have any idea how much food I need to cook to keep them going through the week?" He shook his head amused at her frightful expression. "A lot, enough to feed your entire Quidditch team...Including the reserves...Twice over!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mia," George scoffed.

"Yeah, you forgot to include the wives and girlfriends, too." Fred joked and they laughed at him.

"I didn't know you could cook," Oliver said to Hermione.

She shrugged. "I do my best, but I'm no Mrs. Weasley."

"Don't go there, Mia, you're a great cook, and an even better baker," George said scoffing.

"Yeah, your baking's better than mum's." A fearful look found its way onto Fred's face when he realised what he’d said. "Don't tell her I said that," he said and they snorted at him.

"So, next week?" Oliver asked.

She nodded. "Tuesday, maybe?"

"A'll floo over after training tae pick ye up."

"Mrs. Weasley isn’t going to be happy," Hermione muttered.

The twins shivered and her face paled; they all knew Mrs. Weasley’s thoughts on cohabitation before marriage, and it wasn’t a pretty sight to witness when her disapproving tone made itself known, as did her wooden spoon.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Tuesday 7th July, 1998**

Oliver floo’d to the twins’ flat and stepped out into the living room to see that Fred and George were sat on the couch with sad looks on their faces, and Quaffle bounded out of Hermione's room and he ran straight to Oliver, who crouched down and greeted the dog as he scratched his head.

"Before Hermione comes out," Fred said as he and George stood and walked over to them. "We need to talk about a few things."

"Alright," Oliver nodded, standing up and Quaffle sat on the floor with his tail wagging, looking up at them.

"First of all, if you hurt her in any way or make her do something she doesn't want to do, we _will_ find out, and we’ll make you regret it for the rest of your life." George warned in a dangerous tone and Oliver shuffled on his feet and Quaffle growled in agreement. "And you've likely got a hundred and thirty years left of it, that's a lot of newly invented products just for you."

"Of course you'll have to deal with the guard dog first," Fred spoke and Quaffle barked his agreement.

"A won't hurt her or make her do anything she doesnae want tae do," Oliver assured them.

"Good, the next thing is to make sure that you monitor her food intake the best you can. Her food portions have increased by about three mouthfuls and that might not seem like a lot, but for Hermione it is," Fred said and Oliver nodded.

"Make sure that she weighs herself regularly, too, we need to know that her weight’s increasing," George said and he nodded again. "When she has a nightmare, and she will, you make sure that you floo call us immediately." Oliver nodded again.

"Don't let her criticise herself, don't let her get trapped in her own mind and don't allow her to feel sadness or despair. She'll go into a depressed state and it'll take a while to break her out of it, _if_ we can broke her out of it," Fred said. "Make sure she drinks at least four glasses of juice, milk or water a day. She prefers milk. Make sure that she doesn't lock her bedroom door at night. If you have to, wait until she falls asleep and then dismantle any Locking Charms she’s erected."

"Don't let her put up Silencing Charms either. Again if you have to, wait until she falls asleep and then dismantle them. And don't let her take any Sleeping Potions," George said as Fred handed Oliver a muggle note book.

"What's this?" Oliver asked confused.

"A list of Locking and Silencing spells Hermione uses, along with their counter charms and wand movements. A diary of her weight since she moved in with us, if you look you’ll see that she's doing really well despite the circumstances. When she moved in she weighed under seven stone and our target is around nine and a half stone. At that point you can stop monitoring her. It's also a diary of her food intake so you can see how she’s improved over the weeks. Make sure you fill it in regularly, but don't let her catch you writing in this book or with it or you’ll get hexed," Fred explained.

Oliver looked at them in surprise; he had no idea the twins did so much for Hermione, that they’d been secretly caring for her in the way they had been. By the sounds of it, Hermione probably didn’t know either seeing as they were warning him not to get caught.

"It also contains a list of food and drink Hermione doesn't like the taste of, the smell of and what makes her want to throw up. It contains a list of things to say and do when she has a nightmare and how to calm her down. It also has her schedule in there; when she works, when she goes shopping, her eating and sleeping habits, things like that. It contains things that you should avoid mentioning at least for now, it has a list of things she's afraid of and it explains how to avoid facing her temper. And there's a list of things she's allergic to and how to treat her for anaphylactic shock," George said.

Oliver stared at them with his mouth parted. He’d never seen the twins so serious and caring. He looked down at the book, feeling grateful for the invaluable information it contained.

"Thank ye," he said sincerely. "She's already told mae she's allergic tae nuts an’ coconut an’ how tae use an epi-pen. She mentioned tha’ ye each have one fer emergencies an’ tha’ she'll give mae one tae."

Fred and George looked at each other silently. "Is that all she's told you she's allergic to?" George asked.

"Nuts and coconut?" Fred questioned.

"Aye, why?" Oliver replied in confusion.

"No reason," they said quickly and he frowned.

"Ye really do a lot fer her," Oliver observed.

"Like we said, she's more of a sister to us than Ginny, regardless of her blood," Fred said seriously and with tired eyes; he looked like he hadn't slept in days. “And she does even more for us, it’s only fair that we make sure she’s safe and healthy.”

"We love her and we can honestly say that if we had to choose between them, we’d pick Hermione," George said with equally tired eyes. "Now, we've seen the size of your apartment, do you have a house-elf?"

"Aye," he nodded.

Fred and George looked at each other amused. "Does Hermione know?" Fred asked.

"Tha’ a have a house-elf? Naw, a don’ think so, why?"

"No reason," they said with a smirk and Oliver looked at them suspiciously.

They heard Hermione approaching and they knew it was time. The twins sighed and then they crouched down in front of Quaffle.

"We're going to miss you," George said, scratching his head and Quaffle made a whining sound.

He was going to miss the twins; they looked after his owner when she cried and screamed in the night and they scratched his head when he whimpered. They fed him bacon and pancakes when Hermione wasn't looking and let him play with shoes, which he had no idea where they got them from, but he suspected it was their older brother, Percy. Quaffle had met the rest of The Weasleys including Charlie the previous Sunday, when they took him to The Burrow and he liked them all. He understood that they were his owner's family and that they would never hurt her. And Charlie played tug of war with him in the garden, Bill played fetch with him and Fleur fed him food from her plate under the table. He liked her and he could sense that she had a pup in her stomach.

"But we’ll visit you all the time and I'm sure Hermione will bring you to work. We don't mind as long as you stay out of the potions lab and work area, you don't try to escape out the door and you don't bite the customers," Fred said, scratching his back and Quaffle barked in agreement.

They’d allowed him on the shop floor once before, but when they opened up he tried to escape and was sent back upstairs. They checked on him regularly and gave him new things to play with, but he was never allowed down stairs after that.

"Take care of our girl for us," they said quietly. Quaffle whined again and then he licked their faces and they smiled. "Thanks," they smiled sadly.

Hermione drew their attention as she walked out of her room with her beaded bag slung over her shoulder and she had tears rolling down her face.

"Sorry," she said with a watery laugh and she wiped her tears away. "Merlin, I've cried more these last few days than I have in my entire life." They chuckled at her.

"Ye ready tae go?" Oliver asked her, smiling softly. He knew it was hard for her to give up her life with the twins for him and that only cemented his growing feelings for her. She nodded and then turned to the twins.

"I know we've been saying goodbye for the last few days, but I'm really going to miss you," she said and they hugged her between them tightly.

"Nothing's going to change," Fred promised her.

"You're just moving into another apartment. You'll be down the road if you need us and you'll see us when you have a nightmare."

"Don't bother taking a potion or putting up charms, we've already warned Oliver to check for them," George said. She sighed, kissed their cheeks and then pulled away and she walked over to Oliver.

He took her hand in his and smiled at her softly. Fred and Oliver noticed the movement and smiled slightly.

"Remember, when using the toaster the bread goes in for a minute and a half. If it isn't done when you take it out, put it back in for thirty seconds. If it isn't done when you take it out again, then you're idiots because you forgot to turn the toaster on," Hermione told them and Oliver chuckled. "Don’t change the settings; keep the dial turned to two. Make sure the milk is used within three days of opening otherwise you’ll be in bed with stomach pains for being muppets and drinking out of date milk." Again Oliver chuckled. "Use Heating Charms on the food that I’ve placed in the fridge and freezer, stop when it starts to smoke lightly; it means that it’s done and not that it's cold because the smoke isn't filling the room. Cook your bacon in the frying pan for five minutes on each side on the medium setting. Remember that if it's pink it's still raw and you forgot to turn the oven on. Remember to put oil in the frying pan and to bin the old oil regularly. When you turn on the oven, find the correct gas dial for the correct corner of the oven, turn it and then press the button, otherwise just use the gas and an _Incendio_. But be careful that you don't hurt yourselves or the kitchen," she said with tears rolling down her face, and they nodded at her with soft and sad expressions.

"We'll be over for dinner at least four times a week," George promised.

"A'll have yer names spelled on tae chairs at the kitchen table," Oliver joked.

"Be sure that you do, we wouldn't want you to get us mixed up," Fred spoke.

"A can tell ye apart now," he said smugly and Fred and George smirked. They both pushed their shaggy hair behind their ears and Oliver's eyes widened. They both had two ears.

"Hoo?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hermione," they said and he looked at her to see her shrugging.

"By the way, Fred's wearing the blue shirt and George the white," she informed him.

"Ye can tell them apart?" He asked surprised.

"She's the only person that can," George said, and they smiled proudly.

Oliver shook his head and then he walked over to the floo with Hermione and Quaffle following him. Hermione picked up the puppy and held him in her arms.

"A'll have ye keyed in tae mae floo network fer easy access," Oliver promised and the twins nodded.

"We'll see you later," they said to Hermione and she nodded sadly.

"I love you," she said. A pang of jealousy hit Oliver at hearing her say those words so easily to the twins.

"We love you, too," they responded, before they floo’d out of the apartment.

Fred and George looked at each other.

"Well that's it, she's gone," Fred sighed.

"Yeah, she is," George agreed sadly.

"She didn't tell him about all her allergies?"

"I suspect it's because she would have to tell him why she's allergic and she's not ready for that."

"She'll have to tell him, it's dangerous for her not to," Fred pointed out.

"If she doesn't tell him within a week, we'll tell him ourselves," George said and Fred nodded in agreement.

"He didn't tell her he has a house-elf," Fred said, now grinning.

"Sucker," they both chuckled.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

Hermione’s eyes widened as she and Oliver stepped out of the floo and into a large open space.

"What the hell? Why would you need this much space?" She gasped and Oliver chuckled at her. "This room’s bigger than my parents’ entire house."

The room was massive with white marble flooring and white walls, and there were large floor to ceiling windows covering the length of the room, rather than there being a back wall. In the middle of the room sat a large white corner suite with two puffy chairs placed in front of the couch, perfect for resting your feet on. A matching white four seater couch faced the corner suite and a white matching arm chair next to the couch, creating an almost rectangular shaped seating area, with a glass coffee table in the middle of the seating arrangement. Off in the right corner of the room was a large wooden table pressed up against the wall and Oliver’s fish tank sat proudly on top of it.

Before she moved further into the room, Hermione put Quaffle down and he ran around the room happily, barking as he skidded along the floor. She left him to it and walked off to the left of the room and she saw a black marble breakfast bar that separated the room from the kitchen. The kitchen walls were black and white and there were large white cupboards on the walls as well as some under the black marble counter tops which were in the shape of an 'L', and there were two sinks, white drawers and a large black double oven, too. A wooden kitchen table that seated eight people sat off to the right and the floor was white marble, matching the living area. She then noticed that there were a few muggle appliances around the room, too. A black double door fridge-freezer sat in the corner of the room, and a black kettle, toaster and microwave were positioned on the counter tops.

Oliver was leaning back against the breakfast bar with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling at the way Hermione was taking in the kitchen with small gasps and wide eyes. Fred and George had told him that she loved to be in the kitchen almost as much as she loved to read, so he’d made sure to have it renovated before she moved in. And with the help of a little magic and some wizarding contractors, they were able to get it done in only two days.

"Why do you have muggle appliances?" She asked as she turned around to once more face him.

"A had help from the twins. A want ye tae feel comfortable here an’ a wanted tae incorporate a part af yer muggle heritage intae our home. It's a part af ye an’ it shouldn't be suppressed."

Hermione smiled at him softly. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble."

"A know, but a want our children tae learn aboot both worlds, the majority af the time they’ll be here, but we can take them tae the Muggle World at every chance we get."

Hermione faltered slightly at his words when he mentioned children, how was she supposed to tell him that she might not be able to give him children?

Oliver noticed her reaction but he pushed it aside thinking she was just nervous about the topic.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Oliver watched her as she approached him and she surprised him when she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her and out of instinct he placed a kiss to her forehead. Hermione smiled widely at his action.

Oliver took the chance to breath in her scent; strawberries, vanilla and honey. How had he not noticed how good she smelled? It was feminine, fruity and subtle. He didn't think she wore perfume so it must’ve been her shower gel or shampoo.

"The only problem is we couldn't figure oot hoo tae get them tae work around magic. They keep overheating," Oliver spoke.

"That's okay; I created a spell so that muggle appliances can work around magic. That's how they work in the twins' flat."

"Yer've created a spell?" He said sounding surprised.

She nodded against his chest. "I've created a fair few, they've come in handy."

"Like what?" He asked intrigued.

"Later," she replied as she pulled away from him. "Do you mind if I nosy around? I'm going to nosy around," she said, not waiting for him to answer.

She all but ran out of the kitchen and back into the living area and she skidded on the marble floor, squeaking when she almost fell over and Oliver laughed at her when she steadied herself by gripping onto the back of the couch. Hermione noticed the large fireplace on the wall, close by the only door in the middle of the wall which she suspected to be the entrance if you weren't using the floo. She then looked to her left and noticed a corridor; she looked at Oliver and then walked towards it and down the corridor. He laughed at her excited expression as he followed after her.

She decided to start with the last room at the end of the corridor and she opened it. It was a large empty room with white walls and a cream carpet, and it had two bay windows. There was no colour, no furniture and no items inside.

"Why is this empty?" She asked.

He shrugged. "A havnae decided what tae do with it. Why, do ye have something’ in mind?"

"I don't know, maybe," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

She smiled cheekily and left the room, moving over to the door closest to her left and it opened up to a bathroom. It had a large shower with glass doors, a sunken bathtub the size of a small swimming pool, a sink and an overhead mirrored door cabinet, and a toilet. There was no colour scheme to it, the walls and floor being white so she assumed it probably wasn’t used often.

She closed the door and moved onto the next one, opening it to reveal a bedroom. It had a queen-sized bed, with a bay window, a bedside table and a walk in closet. The walls were white as was the carpet.

She turned around so she was facing the other wall and she opened the first door, revealing another bedroom that was identical to the first one, and when she opened the second door on the right side, it revealed yet another bedroom, also being identical. She shrugged her shoulder and then walked back down the corridor and into the living area and she noticed another corridor on the opposite side of the room. She walked over to it and started with the first door on her right instead of walking to the very end; she got the feeling it would be Oliver's room.

She opened the door to reveal yet another empty room, with light laminate flooring, white walls and bay windows.

"What about this room?" She asked him and he shrugged.

"A havnae decided what tae do with this room either. Ye have an idea?"

“Maybe, I don't know yet," she replied.

She moved onto the room on her left and opened it, revealing yet another bedroom that was identical to the others. When she opened the door next to it, that also revealed a bedroom, yet this one was different. It had the some bay windows, queen-sized bed and walk in closet, but it was decorated in soft purples and ivory. The bed covers were ivory with purple accents and had purple cushions placed strategically on the bed. There was a desk along the wall with a matching chair tucked underneath, and the bay window had purple and ivory cushions thrown on it, and finally there was a large dog bed on the floor and close to the bed.

"This is yer room," Oliver spoke from behind her. She startled and he chuckled at her.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," she said quietly, turning around to look at him.

"A know, tha's why a had it decorated. A dinnae do it; if a did a’thing would be hideous. A paid someone tae do it fer mae, a supervised," he grinned and she chucked at him.

"I doubt it would've been that bad. I mean, you’ve seen the joke shop."

"Fair point," he nodded with an amused smile.

"You do realise that Quaffle will probably just sleep in the bed, right?"

"Aye, but ye never know. And this isnae the best part yet; a have one last surprise fer ye," he said grinning.

He took her by the hand and gently tugged her out of the room and he closed the door behind them. He frowned when she skipped his room at the end of the corridor and went straight for the final room opposite her bedroom.

"Yer not gunaa look in tha’ one?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Why?"

"I know that’s your bedroom and we’re all entitled to our privacy, therefore I'm not going to go searching through your room."

"Ye won't be sharing a room with mae?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "When I've got that lovely and newly decorated one you’ve just gifted me?" She said, catching his frown. "But that doesn't mean that I won't in the future."

"Jus’ not yet?"

"Maybe,"

"A can live with a maybe," he nodded to himself.

"Like you had a choice," she snorted to herself, before she opened the door and a gasp of surprise fell from her lips. She stepped into the room and Oliver smiled at her reaction.

She was in a library. There was a soft beige carpet, the top half of the walls were beige and the bottom half were cream. A cream coloured couch and two matching arm chairs sat in the middle of the room, with a round coffee table placed between them. A fireplace sat in the centre of the left wall with a cream plush rug on the ground in front of it. The windows were high up in the room and from the windows down, covering the entire right wall and the back walls were bookcases. A third of the bookcases were filled and she could see that they had been clearly labelled with sections from Quidditch to history of magic to magical law to muggle literature.

Hermione turned to Oliver with her eyes tearing up. "Please tell me you didn't just do this for me," she said quietly.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not entirely, a needed the space tae put all af me Quidditch play books an’ me parents are always complaining there's nothin’ tae read when they visit," he lied through his teeth, but she didn’t need to know that.

In fact, he’d done exactly that, he’d had the library constructed solely for Hermione. He had an empty room and he wanted to give her something that would bring her peace and tranquillity. Hermione wasn’t the Brightest Witch for nothing and she needed something and somewhere to feed her desire for knowledge and learning. A library was perfect for her.

“I'm glad to hear that," she said honestly, although she was convinced he wasn't telling her the exact truth.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and he smiled and wrapped around his arms around her. He could get used to her hugging him all the time. Hermione looked up at him and before he knew it, she was reaching up on her tiptoes and pressing her lips against his.

It was Oliver's turn to be surprised since he was always the one to initiate the few kisses they had shared, and when Hermione pressed her lips against his with more pressure, he broke out of his stupor and responded happily. He brought one hand up to cup her face and the other laid against her hip, where one of her hands was pressed against the side of his neck and the other rested on his chest in-between them.

Oliver wishing to see how far he could push her boundaries, ran his tongue over her bottom lip and Hermione parted her lips for him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring the unfamiliar territory for the first time, and she sighed and relaxed against him.

Hermione wasn't as inexperienced as people thought; she just didn't shout her thoughts and feelings for the world to hear; she was a private person. She’d shared kisses with Viktor during her fourth year and there was some touching on Hermione's part which led to Viktor climaxing a few times, but the gesture was never returned. Viktor's kisses had been rushed and sloppy.

Then there was a muggle boy she’d shared kisses with the summer before her sixth year and his kisses were better, but they still left something to be desired. Then there was that whole Ron sticking his tongue down her throat at the Final Battle incident, which she just didn't want to think about for fear of throwing up.

But then there was Oliver. His kisses were always controlled and gentle and they left her blushing and breathless. The way he was kissing her now was with experience and tenderness, and he was doing it languidly, taking his time to explore her and she was more than happy to reciprocate. When he kissed her she felt like her magic was tingling and her heart was fluttering as it beat faster, she felt dizzy and a flush covered over her cheeks.

A moan fell from her lips and was caught in his mouth and Oliver pulled her tightly against him and groaned in response. She heard barking and she pulled away from Oliver, but not before she sucked his lip into her mouth and he groaned when she let go. They were both a little breathless and they stared into each other’s eyes silently.

As Oliver marvelled that she was to be his future wife, Hermione stared at the wizard in front of her with her chest filling with affection for him. She knew she was blushing furiously; she could feel her face burning.

Oliver thought the blush in cheeks was adorable and he leaned down to kiss her, but before his lips brushed against hers they heard barking again. They pulled away and looked down at Quaffle who was trying to get their attention.

Hermione picked him up and snuggled him in her arms. "What did I tell you Quaffle? You can't be jealous of Oliver. You're my number one puppy and that will never change. Oliver is human, you’re not," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his soft fur and he barked in response and then licked her face. "Sorry about that," Hermione muttered and he chuckled at her; she was adorable cute when she was embarrassed.

Hermione walked past him and back into the living area and she put Quaffle down on the ground.

"So what do you think Quaffle? Do you like your new home?" She asked her excitable puppy.

Quaffle barked and jumped up at her in response.

"A'll take tha’ tae mean he likes it," Oliver chuckled.

"Question?" She said to Oliver. He titled his head curiously. "Why is everything so...White?"

He chuckled at her. "A've jus’ never gotten ‘round tae decorating," he shrugged.

"How long have you lived here?"

"It would've been twa years but because af the war a stayed at the manor with me parents." Hermione started laughing. "Okay, so a couldn't be bothered," he admitted. "But now tha’ yer here, ye can decorate." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "An’ a can help ye," he added, she smirked at him. "Now a know a said a had one last surprise fer ye an’ it was the library, but a lied an’ a promise this is the last one,” he said.

He took her hand and tugged her over to the windows, where he pressed his other hand directly against the third window panel and it slid open, allowing them to pass through. Hermione let out a quiet gasp as it opened it onto a rather large balcony that covered the entire length of the windows. It looked to have been made into a small garden, with real grass and a patio table and chairs sat off to the left, close to the corner. Quaffle had followed them out and Hermione looked down to see her puppy rolling around on the grass happily, and Oliver pulled her over to the railing, showing a beautiful view of the country side.

"I thought we were in the middle of Wizarding London," Hermione spoke up, lifting her gaze from the view and to him for a brief moment.

"We are; the balcony’s charmed tae show the country side. It’s the same with the windaes, some Wizarding London below us an’ others show what yer seein’ now."

"How far up are we?"

"We’re on the top floor, the twentieth. This apartment’s triple the size af the others below us as this is the Presidential Suite."

"And the balcony? Is it safe?" She asked worriedly, peering down to the ground and in doing so making herself feel dizzy; she hated heights.

"Aye, it’s completely safe so there’s nothin’ fer ye tae worry aboot; it has safety wards ‘round it ye cannae fall over the railing an’ it’s charmed tae deflect wind, snow an’ rain. There’s also the privacy wards, we canne be seen or heard."

"Like a Fidelius Charm?"

"Aye, it’s a similar but milder form of magic; it only covers the windaes an’ balcony an’ not the entire building."

Hermione turned around and leaned her back against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest. Oliver mimicked her actions and they both snorted at Quaffle, seeing him trying to scratch his back on the ground.

"A think he likes it," Oliver spoke amused.

"Are you sure the landlord won't mind him being here?"

"Aye, a’m positive he won't mind," he replied with his mouth twitching at the corners.

"How do you know?"

"There's a reason a have the biggest apartment in the building," he shrugged his shoulders.

"I assume it's because you're Oliver Wood, Captain of Puddlemere, starting keeper and one of Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelors," she said with a roll of her eyes.

He loved that she didn't treat him like a Quidditch Star and celebrity; to her she just saw him as Oliver, a regular person.

"Not exactly," he smirked.

"No!" she gasped. "You've got to be kidding me! You _own_ the apartment?"

"Not exactly,"

"You own the _entire_ building?" She squeaked.

"A own the entire building," he confirmed, amused by her reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice rose and she slapped him on the arm.

"Ow!" He said in surprise, blinking at the fact that she’d just hit him and that it had actually hurt a little. "Yer've got an arm on ye, why dinnae the twins tell mae?"

"As much as I love them, they can be arseholes when they want to be," she replied. His eyes widened at hearing her using that kind of language, not being used to it.

She walked back into the living area and he followed her, leaving the door open for Quaffle as he was still outside.

He was about to speak when Hermione yelped in surprise as a house-elf popped into the room without warning. She had large brown eyes, large pointy ears with a patch of fur on the tips and she was wearing a black skirt, a white shirt and comfortable shoes.

"Master Oliver," she said bowing. "I have completed today's maintenance tasks."

"Thank ye, Tillie, but ye didnnae have tae do them all taday," he said softly, crouching down in front of her to be at her level and Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Those tasks were tae be spread oot through the week," he spoke, sounding amused.

"Tillie loves to work, Master," the little house-elf said seriously and he shook his head at her.

"You own a house-elf!" Hermione spoke and sounding horrified, too.

Looking up to her, seeing her wide eyes and hearing her tone of disbelief, he was reminded of an article he’d seen about Hermione, accounts about her personality from students of Hogwarts. One particular student had outlined Hermione's passion for house-elves and equal rights. In that moment, he took into account the twins’ strange behaviour; they’d just dropped him in it with Hermione when they could’ve warned him against it.

"Aye," he said slowly, seeing her hair beginning to spark and his eyes widened. He realised he needed to diffuse the situation and quickly, before he witnessed Hermione Granger's famous temper.

"Sparrow," he said softly, hoping his nickname for her would calm her down. "Tillie gets paid an’ she takes days aff."

Her hair stopped sparking. "How much?"

"Eight galleons a day, she works four days a week."

"What are her responsibilities?"

"She does me laundry an’ carries oot maintenance on the building."

"That's it?"

"She’ll give the apartment a quick clean a couple times a week, an’ she doesn't cook ‘coz she's rubbish."

Tillie clicked her fingers and that morning's newspaper appeared rolled up in her hand and she hit Oliver in the leg with it.

"Ow!" He whined.

"Bad Master hurting Tillie's feelings," she scolded. Oliver scowled and crossed his arms over his chest like a child. "Master knows be Tillie sensitive about her cooking."

Hermione smirked. She liked Tillie; she had someone to help her keep Oliver in line.

"I like her," Hermione said and Tillie beamed at her.

"Tillie, this is Hermione Granger. Me future wife," Oliver introduced whilst he rubbed at his stinging leg.

"Tillie is honoured to meet you, Mistress," she said, bowing low.

"Okay, there’s no need to bow," Hermione said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tillie, and you don't have to call me that."

"You are to be Tillie’s mistress, and Tillie will show you respect," Tillie said, waving the newspaper at her. "Good night," she said before she disappeared from view, taking her newspaper with her.

Hermione looked at Oliver. "Why didn't you tell me you have a house elf?"

He shrugged. "It never came up an’ a suppose a dinnae think it was important. Tillie was me great Grandmother's house-elf, she's tended tae me family fer four generations, she's family. Me Ma decided tae give her tae mae when a moved oot. An’ befere ye go on a rampage an’ break somethin’, she’s treated well. She has her own room, she only works the hours she wants to, she gets paid an’ has three days a week aff. A dunna what she does with the money but tha's up tae her, af course she throws a bit of a fit when it comes tae pay day."

"Okay then," she nodded, her eyes catching sight of the clock on the wall and seeing that it was almost nine in the evening. "Why didn't you tell me the time? Are you hungry?"

He shrugged, when in truth he was starving. He hadn't eaten since lunch.

"Well then, let's get to work then," she said as she made her way over to the kitchen and he followed her. "Can you cook?" She asked as she removed her wand from her back pocket and put her beaded bag on the kitchen table.

"Naw, a'm worse than Tillie an’ tha's sayin’ somethin’."

He took a seat at the kitchen table and watched her fondly as she fluttered around the kitchen, looking through all the cupboards and drawers and learning where things were kept.

"How did you feed yourself?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "A would jus’ eat toast or somethin’ simple for breakfast thanks tae a Heating Charm, or an _Incendio_ if a was runnin’ late." She chuckled and rolled her eyes, the twins were the same. "A eat lunch in the cafeteria at the stadium an’ tae be honest, it’s barely edible. Fer dinner a’d either grab somethin’ from one af the cafes or pubs in Diagon Alley, or have whatever me Ma would send over."

"Would?"

"Aye, would. A told her ye like tae cook so now she doesn’t have tae worry aboot me eating habits anymore.”

"You're better than the twins; they set the living room couch on fire a couple of weeks ago, I still don’t know how; they were in the kitchen peeling potatoes.“ He laughed and she laughed along with him.

When she’d finished looking around the kitchen, she walked back over to the cupboards above the counter top where all the food items were kept and she opened the fridge-freezer, too, seeing what she had to work.

"You've put a Cooling and Freezing Charm on the food, haven't you?"

"Aye, it's the best we could do so the food dinnae spoil."

She nodded before cancelling charms and with a few waves of her wand and a simple whispered incantation, she had all of the muggle appliances working and ready for use. She then looked through the fridge, freezer and cupboards and noticed that the shelves were all but empty.

"Seriously? No food?" He looked at her sheepishly and she sighed, shook her head and then chuckled. "We'll have to go shopping; I'll take you tomorrow after work. We'll go to the Muggle World and I'll get everything I need to make you my specialties," she said and he nodded in agreement.

She found some cheese, ham and bread and then closed all the doors and put them on the table. She summoned the butter and some knives and plates and then she sat down at the table next to Oliver.

"Okay, cheese and ham toasties," she told him and he looked at her confused.

"Just make cheese and ham sandwiches and I'll show you what to do next, it’s easy."

They chatted as they made the sandwiches and when they were done, she stood up from the table and walked over to the toaster. She put the sandwiches into the toaster and one they were done, they ate together at the table.

"Well it's getting late, I suppose I better unpack," she said, after she finished cleaning the plates and table and Oliver nodded. She looked at him awkwardly and then sighed. "Good night, Oliver."

"Good night," he replied, watching as she walked away. "Should've kissed her good night," he muttered to himself and he ran a hand through his hair.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 23

**Wood Apartment – Tuesday 7th July 1998**

Oliver readied for bed and before he allowed himself to fall into slumber, he left his room and made his way to Hermione's, wishing to check on her. He knocked on the door, opened it a little and he peeked inside to see Hermione’s sleeping form snuggled up against Quaffle. Feeling a smile pull at his mouth, he closed the door and checked for any Silencing Charms she may have put up, but he couldn’t detect any, so he made his way back to his own room.

It was the early hours of the morning when he found himself being woken by a blood-curdling scream. Bolting awake, he threw the covers of himself and darted from his bed, running to Hermione’s room. Throwing the door open, he stared in horror to see Hermione crying hysterically as she thrashed about on the bed and Quaffle was laid beside her, making whining sounds as he licked her face in an effort to comfort her.

"NO! I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GOT IT! IT'S NOT REAL! WE DIDN'T STEAL IT! PLEASE NO!" She screamed.

"Hermione, wake up!" Oliver called, reaching out to shake her shoulders but she wouldn’t wake.

Running from the room, he quickly headed to the fireplace, threw some floo powder into the grate and called out for the twins. He was surprised to see the twins already sat in the living room when his head appeared in their fireplace and they didn’t look surprised to see him calling them at such a time.

"A cannae wake her up," he said, feeling panic rising in him and he moved himself out of the way so the twins could pass through, Oliver leading them to Hermione’s bedroom and hearing her cries echoing throughout the apartment.

Fred and George rushed in and closed the door over slightly, before Fred climbed into bed behind her and George in front of her and together they whispered to her until she soon calmed down and her tears silently fell, as Oliver watched from the doorway, his skin a little pale.

"Hoo did ye know? Ye were waiting," he asked the twins quietly.

"It always happens around this time. We set an alarm so we can be awake before it starts, then she doesn’t have to wait for us for too long," George replied as he rubbed his hand up and down Hermione's arm comfortingly. Oliver nodded silently as Hermione finally woke and she buried her head in George's chest.

Oliver left the room and slid down the wall until he was sat on the ground, leaning back against the wall and burying his hands in his hair. He couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. He’d assumed Hermione’s nightmares wouldn’t be pleasant given what she’d been through, but he hadn’t expected the screams and cries. Now he knew that she was keeping things from him, things that were so terrible they caused such a reaction from her.

Oliver turned his head slightly, angling his ear to better pick up on the hushed conversation that was happening in the room behind him.

"Which one was it?" One of the twins asked softly.

"Both of them, only this time it was different," Hermione sniffled.

"Different how?"

"Everyone was there, even Oliver. I watched you all die and I couldn't stop it," she sobbed, Oliver felt his stomach turn and his chest tighten.

"We’re perfectly fine and healthy, well we've never been mentally sane, but still..." he heard Hermione giggle and felt a smile pull at his mouth. "No one is going to hurt us and you're not going to lose us."

"You need to tell him," the other twin spoke.

"I can't; I don't want him to pity me or treat me differently. I don't want him to know just how damaged I am," she replied. Oliver's smiled dropped.

"He won't treat or look at you any differently. He’ll see how strong you are to have gone through all of that alone and to have come out a survivor, and he definitely won't pity you. He doesn’t have it in him."

"Why didn't you tell him about _all_ of your allergies?" the other twin asked.

"I’d have to explain _why_ I’m allergic to them; I'm not ready to relive those memories," she replied.

"You have to tell him, Mia, it's dangerous if you don't. We'll give you a week to tell him and if you don't then we'll do it ourselves."

"Please don't push me. I’ve told you what happened to me, but you haven't lived through it."

"You're right, we haven't live through it, but the more people you tell, the easier it’ll be for you to deal with your past. You need to embrace it in order have a better future and that starts by telling Oliver everything. Even the things that you haven't told us. We know that he cares for you" Oliver felt himself blush a little. "We can see it in the way he looks at you and we know that you care for him too"

"I do," she admitted. Oliver smiled widely.

"So tell him,"

"I will but when I'm ready and when I think he’s ready to hear it. I don't want to tell him when he's not prepared, but I don't think it will be long before that time comes; I can already feel my defences lowering when I'm around him," she admitted. Oliver's smile widened.

"That's good; it means you’re beginning to trust him."

"I already trust him, I'm just afraid of what he'll think of me when I do tell him. You know I don’t normally care for how people see me, but I care what he thinks of me. He’s different."

"That's because you care for him. He matters to you and therefore his opinion of you matters to you."

They were quiet for a little while before Hermione spoke,

"I'm teaching him the rules," she said and they chuckled.

"How far have you gotten?" A twin asked.

"At the moment, just rule three."

"Never eat your digestive biscuits unless given permission," they recited and Hermione laughed.

"I still have a bruise from when I ran into the wall." Oliver knew it was George speaking as Hermione had told him the story.

"That was four weeks ago," Hermione said amused.

"No, look I have a bruise."

Oliver heard some shuffling.

"There's nothing there, you big baby."

"Yes, there is, right there, look!"

"That's your finger," Hermione deadpanned. Oliver chuckled. "Will you stay tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Of course,” they answered and before they knew it Hermione had fallen back to sleep.

As the twins exited the room and closed the door behind them, Oliver stood up from the ground.

"You were listening in, weren't you?" Fred said amused.

"A wisnae," he denied, yet they smirked at him, knowing he was lying. “The spare rooms are doon the other corridor," he muttered, before turning and heading back to his own room.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Wednesday 8th July, 1998**

Oliver woke to the smell of breakfast being cooked and it drifting into his room. He climbed out of bed and walked into his en-suite bathroom and relieved his bladder, before he brushed his teeth and then made his way to the kitchen, where he could hear Quaffle barking and Hermione scolding the twins.

"What did I tell you about feeding him bacon?"

Oliver chuckled as entered the kitchen, the twins looking up at him and smirking when they saw his lack of clothing.

"Mia, you’d better get another plate," George said amused.

Hermione turned around with a smile on her face before it quickly dropped, her entire face flaming red and she quickly turned back around with the twins laughing at her reaction loudly.

"D-do you mind putting some clothes on, please?"Sshe spoke embarrassed. Oliver looked down at himself; he was only wearing his black boxers and he found her reaction amusing and endearing.

He shrugged his shoulders before quickly returning to his room, throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of draw string pajama bottoms and then making his way back to the kitchen. He took a seat at the table with Hermione putting a plate down in front of him.

"Better?" He asked amused and Hermione nodded, still bright red in the face and he chuckled. He picked up his fork and began eating the food on his plate and Hermione placed another plate of bacon on the table and then she sat down and began eating herself.

"Where did ye get all this food?" Oliver asked, knowing it certainly hadn’t been from his own cupboards.

"We went home to get changed and brought it back with us," Fred answered, and that’s when he realised they’d both been changed and had readied for the day.

The kettle alerting them to the fact it had been boiled had Hermione standing from her chair and heading over to the counter, and he took in the sight she made. Her hair being in a messy bun with a few curls that had already broke free of their restraint and were framing her face. She wore a grey v-neck sweater that hugged her frame, a black skirt that fell just above her knees and white converse were on her feet. He couldn’t help the way he tilted his head slightly, his eyes roaming her body before landing on her arse and legs.

The twins shared a look and since Fred was the closest, he leaned over and hit Oliver over the back of the head.

"Ow! What was tha’ fer?" Oliver asked, glaring at him as he rubbed at the aching spot.

"We’re still in the room and that’s our little sister you're staring at," George replied with a shrug.

Hermione broke their staring match as glasses of orange juice were placed in front of everyone, as well as a coffee for Fred, and a tea for herself, George and Oliver. Oliver picked up the mug and took a sip, feeling his eyebrow raise in question. How did she know how he took his tea?

"George, stop feeding Quaffle, he's already eaten his breakfast and I don't want an overweight dog," she scolded him, as she placed more waffles on their plates.

Oliver looked down at his own mountain of food. "Are ye trying tae fatten mae up?" He asked, sounding amused.

"I’m not having you fainting and falling off your broom because you haven't eaten enough," she replied, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

"An’ if a get sick?"

"That's perfectly acceptable; it means you've eaten plenty of food and you’re not at risk of fainting due to an underwhelming breakfast."

"She's been living with Weasleys, she's used to feeding people Weasley sized meals," Fred chuckled.

"We'll head to the shop and get ready for opening. Bring Quaffle with you," George said.

"You’re sure?" Hermione said.

"Yeah, he's already promised to behave himself, haven't you?" Fred questioned, looking down at Quaffle and he barked in response, his tail wagging. "Besides, the customers will love him."

"Looks like you're the new mascot of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Hermione said, chuckling when Quaffle barked and spun a circle, trying to catch his tail. "We'll meet you at the shop," Hermione nodded and then they left soon after.

When breakfast was over, Hermione took their plates to the sink and she began washing them by hand.

"I'm sorry we woke you," Hermione said.

"It's alright; ye had breakfast waiting fer me, besides, a usually get up ‘round this time anyway," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry I woke you last night," Hermione said, keeping her attention on washing the plates.

"It's not yer fault ye have nightmares, ye went through a war, it’s tae be expected," he said softly.

"They’re not as bad as they used to be."

"Can a ask what they’re aboot?" He asked softly. She shook her head. "Can ye tell mae if it's the same one?"

"I have two different nightmares, sometimes it’s them both."

"Can ye tell mae if they’re fears or memories?"

"Bit of both, I suppose. Last night was different though,”

Oliver was glad she was beginning to open up to him, the chat she’d with the twins had obviously done her some good. He just hoped she would tell him her secrets soon, before they ate away at her for keeping them bottled up for so long.

"Do ye want tae go shopping tanight? What time do ye finish work?" He asked, wishing to change the subject and he could tell she was grateful in the way her body seemed to relax against the counter.

"Monday to Friday we work nine until seven and Saturdays it’s nine until five. We tend to get in the shop half an hour early to make sure everything is set up and clean before opening."

"Should a floo over tae the twins’ flat ‘round seven?" He asked.

"That's fine," she nodded, before putting the last plate on the drainer and wiping her hands dry. "Well, I suppose I better get to work. I'll see you later, let's go Quaffle," she said and the dog barked and followed behind Hermione, and as she walked past Oliver -and without, too – she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Hermione had been at the shop all morning and Quaffle had been the centre of attention for the customers, especially the children and he loved it. He sat on top of the counter and when customers came to pay for their purchases they would pet him and coo and he would bark happily. He had been behaving, he hadn't tried to escape and he hadn't bitten anyone, either, in fact, he hadn't moved off the counter all morning; he was perfectly content to just lay there and watch as customers flittered around the stop floor.

It was not long after lunch when Leo arrived unexpectedly, Hermione not expecting as he usually only came to the shop on Tuesdays.

"Hey, Hermione," he said, hugging her tightly when she moved to greet him in front of the counter.

"Hello, Leo, what are you doing here today?" She asked him.

"Mum had some things that she forgot to do yesterday and she said I could come here whilst she did them."

"Well, do you want to help me today?" She asked him and he nodded happily.

Hermione walked back behind the counter and she lifted Leo so that he was sitting on top of the counter near the cash register and he swung his legs back and forth.

"Leo, this is my puppy, Quaffle, he won't hurt you," she said. Leo hesitantly raised his hand and Quaffle sniffed it and then licked him and Leo laughed. "He likes you. He hasn't licked any of the other customers," she said, Leo positively beamed.

A customer walked up to the counter and Hermione placed the products in bags and when she was given the money, she handed the change to Leo who gave it to the customer with a smile and a “have a nice day.” Hermione smiled; Leo had come a long way in the time she had known him. When she first met him he could barely speak and now he was talking to customers.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Leo,"

"You know that because you’re..." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Marrying Oliver Wood?"

"Yes?"

"Can I have his autograph?"

"I can introduce you to him, if you’d like."

"Really?" He asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

Hermione nodded. "Of course, who's your favourite team?"

"Puddlemere," he answered instantly, looking at her as if she were stupid for thinking it would be any team other than Puddlemere and she chuckled at him, shaking her head.

"I can definitely introduce you to him. You haven't told anyone about me marrying him, have you?"

"No, I’ve kept it a secret like I promised."

"Thank you," she said ruffling his hair. "We don't want anyone to know yet."

~000~000~000~

Oliver floo’d into the twins’ flat just after seven and he saw Hermione standing up from the couch and approaching him with a smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted.

“Hey, are ye ready tae go shopping?" He asked with a smile.

Quaffle bounded out of George's bedroom and over to Oliver, so he crouched down and scratched him behind the ear and he barked happily.

"We'll have to leave Quaffle here with the twins and then pick him up later," she said and he nodded in understanding. "I’ll pick Quaffle up later!” Hermione called.

"Okay!" Came a chorused reply from the twins.

"What are they doin’?" He asked her.

"Getting changed, they spilled the Kissing Concoction Potion all over them,” she explained, before looking down to her puppy. “Quaffle, where's George? Go find George," She said and Quaffle barked and ran straight to George's room. "Okay, we’ll have to floo to The Leaky Cauldron and then I'll apparate us from there."

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London – The Supermarket**

They were slowly making their way around the supermarket, Oliver looking surprised at just how big the building was as well as the many products that were for sale.

"The twins had the same look on their faces when I first brought them here, too," she informed him as she pushed the large trolley down an aisle, heading straight for the fridges.

First she collected four bottles of three litre milk and placed them into the trolley, Oliver raising an eyebrow at her.

"I drink a lot of milk," she shrugged, as she selected some cheese and yoghurts, too.

They continued their way around the shop, Hermione getting the essentials and Oliver choosing things he was curious about and wanted to try, having had no idea that muggles had so many food choices and options available.

"So, did you have a good day at training?" She asked him.

"It wisnae tae bad, we only had one injury an’ tha’ was ‘coz Malloy was messing ‘round an’ fell down the stands."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "When’s your first match, again?"

"Next Wednesday, we're playin’ against the Montrose Magpies. Yer comin’, right?"

"If you want me to, I'll ask the twins if I can leave early," she replied and he smiled widely.

He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he desperately wanted Hermione to come to one of his games. He wanted to show her how much he loved his profession, he wanted her to see how hard he worked to be Captain and how much effort he put in when training. He wanted her to be proud of him.

"Hoo was yer day?"

"Exhausting, I’ve barely had a moment to myself today. Quaffle loved it; he literally sat on top of the counter all day and was petted by the customers." He chuckled at her. "I was wondering if you could do me a favour though."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, I had a surprise visitor today, Leo."

Oliver frowned slightly. "A thought he only comes in on Tuesdays."

Hermione beamed at him; he’d remembered. "He does,” she nodded. “But his mother had some errands to run that she forgot to do the day before. Anyway, he _loves_ you and he keeps asking for your autograph. Do you think I could introduce the two of you?"

Oliver smiled. "Af course, a’d love tae meet the little guy tha’ has yer heart," he joked and she chuckled.

"Thank you, I'll make arrangements with his mother."

They paid for their purchases and when they got into the car park, they pushed the trolley down the alley and banished everything back to the apartment, before apparating back to The Leaky Cauldron, flooing into the twins’ flat, collecting Quaffle and returning to the apartment.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Saturday 11th July, 1998**

Hermione and Oliver had been living together for four days now and they already had a routine. Hermione would wake and then shower and dress for the day, before making breakfast and the smell would wake Oliver. They would eat breakfast together before Hermione left for work after pressing a kiss to Oliver’s cheek, making him smile. Oliver was always the first one home and he would sit in the living area and through a play book whilst he waited for her to return.

When she did, she would smile at him and he would play with Quaffle whilst she made dinner and together they would sit at the kitchen table eating, asking each other questions about their day and they would talk and laugh, getting to know each other better. After dinner Oliver would clear up and then they would either sit in the living area, on the balcony or in the library and afterwards they would head to bed for the night. There was still some awkwardness now and then, but most of the time they were comfortable around each other and Oliver and Hermione hadn't shared any more kisses since the day she moved in, much to his disappointment.

It was the early hours of the morning when Hermione’s screams sounded and Oliver had been expecting it and he quickly made his way to the fireplace, placing a floo call to the twins, only they weren’t waiting on the other side like they usually were. Frowning, he tried to floo through but his access was denied.

Oliver feeling worried, left for Hermione’s room, hearing her screams echoing through the apartment.

"NO, PLEASE, I DON'T KNOW!"

Taking a few calming breaths, Oliver walked over to Hermione’s bed and hesitantly lifted the covers, climbing in behind her and trying to mimic the twins’ usual actions by pulling Hermione into his chest, but much to his surprise, she calmed down almost instantly. She had stopped in her screaming and silent tears fell down her face, the only sound he could hear was that of Quaffle whimpering from his place on the dog bed.

"It's jus’ a dream. They cannae hurt ye. A won't let anyone hurt ye," he whispered to her, and he found that it came naturally to him to comfort her, as he held her protectively against him.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she quickly realised that the chest she was pulled against wasn't one of the twins. Slowly, she turned around in the arms that were holding her tightly and she came face to face with Oliver. He smiled at her softly and wiped her tears away as she felt her cheeks flaming.

"Sorry for waking you," she muttered. "Where are the twins?"

"They've blocked the floo, a think they've done it on purpose," he answered.

"They definitely have," she muttered in confirmation and she tried to pull away from him, but Oliver just held her tighter, not wanting to let her go.

"Tell mae," he whispered quietly. "A cannae help ye if ye don' let mae in an’ our marriage won't work if ye hide away from me. Please, Sparrow, tell mae," he pleaded.

"I don't think you're ready to know yet. It isn't just a story, it's my life; it's what I've been through, it’s what I’ve been forced to endure. The twins certainly didn’t take it well, and I don’t want you to treat me any differently."

"A won't an; a can handle it," he assured.

"Ollie..." She sighed.

"A can handle it, please tell mae."

Hermione sighed before pulling herself away from him and sitting herself up, crossing her legs beneath her and turning to fact him. Seeing this, Oliver mimicked her actions so they were facing each other. Hermione reached over for her wand that sat on the bedside table and lifted the duvet, wrapping it around herself like a shield.

" _Luminaria_ ," she whispered. Hundreds of little orbs of white lights flew out of the tip of Hermione's wand and they floated in the air, bathing the room in a soft glow. Seeing Oliver’s confused look, she said, “I created it a while back, they can only be extinguished with the counter curse and you can chose they can be any colour you wish them to be,” she explained. Oliver blinked in surprise, feeling himself being impressed.

"Where to start?" She said to herself, reaching up to push her curls back from her face. “I guess we’ll start from the beginning. It was Halloween, 1991, my first year at Hogwarts. Ronald had insulted me as I tried to help him with his casting at the Levitation Charm, he wasn’t subtle about his annoyance with me. I spent most of my evening in the girl’s bathroom crying and so I wasn’t aware of the mountain troll situation, until I heard a noise and I left the stall, seeing it standing before me. It tried to kill me and in doing so, it broke a sink and it landed on my leg, cornering me. Everything’s a little fuzzy but I know Harry and Ron saved me, and being so grateful for their actions, I forgave Ronald for his mistreatment of me. That night ‘The Golden Trio’ was born.

Oliver shook his head. “A dinnae know tha’, all a remember is Quirrell burstin’ intae the great hall an’ later passing oot, befere we were sent back tae the common room. A canne believe tha’ all happened whilst a was sleeping," he spoke.

She shrugged her shoulders. “But it did. The first Quidditch match of the season saw Harry's broom being jinxed in an effort to kill him, so I set Professor Snape's robes on fire as a distraction." His eyes widened. "At the end of the year and after exams were over, we figured out what we thought were Snape's plans to steal the Philosopher’s Stone."

"What's tha’?"

"The Philosopher’s Stone was created by Nicolas Flamel, and it had the ability to turn any metal into gold and it gave you immortality. We were able to get past a three headed dog, we were almost killed by devil's snare, flying keys, we were almost beaten to death by a life-sized game of wizarding chess, and I solved Professor Snape's potions riddle. Harry carried on and I took an unconscious Ron the hospital wing with the help of Dumbledore, who thankfully arrived not long after. We later discovered that it wasn't Snape that was trying to steal the stone but rather Quirrell. He was helping Voldemort, sharing his body as a vessel. When Harry was rescued, the stone was destroyed."

She knew he was surprised, his eyes were wider than normal and his mouth parted slightly.

Clearing his throat, he shook his head of his thoughts. "Second year?"

"The Chamber of Secrets was opened by the Heir of Slytherin, and I brewed Poly-juice Potion to help Harry."

"But ye were jus’ a second year," he blinked in surprise, knowing how difficult that particular potion was to brew, he’d had trouble with it himself when it came to completing his OWLs.

She shrugged her shoulders. "The plan was to infiltrate the Slytherin common room and hopefully discover information on the identity of the Heir of Slytherin. It was successful for Harry and Ron, who morphed into Crabbe and Goyle. Mine, however, wasn’t. I accidentally pulled a cat’s hair from the robes of Millicent Bulstroude, meaning I grew fur and whiskers,” she chuckled, shaking her head slightly and a smile pulling at her face as she was reminded of that day. “Later in the year I was petrified whilst I was making my way towards the Quidditch pitch. I’d figured out the identity ‘The Beast’ that was terrorising the school and I had planned on telling Harry, but I didn’t make it.”

"What was it?" He asked curiously.

“A basilisk," she answered and his mouth dropped open; he’d heard tale of the creatures. "It was able to move through Hogwarts through the use of the water pipes, as the entrance to The Chambers was in the second floor girl’s bathroom. Luckily, I had a mirror with me when the basilisk found me and I only saw its reflection, the reason being that I was petrified and not killed. Mrs. Norris saw the reflection in the water, Colin Creevey through his camera lens and Justin Finch-Fletchley through Sir Nick. I was in a petrified state for months.”

"What's it like tae be petrified?" He asked quietly.

"It's horrific; you're in a frozen state but you’re still aware of your surroundings, of everything that’s happening around you, only you can’t move, blink, communicate or even sleep. You’re constantly awake and left with only your thoughts. I could hear everything and see everyone that visited me, but I couldn’t do anything about it. It’s like being stuck in time whilst the rest of the world is moving around you. They’re moving on and you’re left behind," she said quietly, a haunted look entering her eyes as she stared at a spot on the wall over his shoulder. Oliver reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze of comfort. "Anyway, I had already written the answer down onto a piece of parchment and it was in my hand. It took them months to find it and before I knew it, I was revived."

"Third year?"

"Third year was when Sirius Black escaped. He was innocent, you know? He was wrongly incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit; he wasn’t even given a trial, they just threw him in Azkaban. Well, this year I got my cat Crookshanks and he seemed to hate Scabbers, Ron's rat. When it came to the end of the year, we thought Scabbers was dead but Hagrid found him alive. Scabbers escaped and we chased after him before Ron was attacked by a large black dog and he was dragged under the Whomping Willow, there’s a secret passageway that leads to the Shrieking Shack beneath it. We found our way into the Shrieking Shack where we discovered Sirius was a Animagus, and he was the black dog, and that he was innocent. Peter Pettigrew, a childhood friend, was the actually the guilty one and the reason The Potters died. He was the secret keeper, not Sirius; they changed their minds at the final moment because he was less of a target and not as well known as Sirius. Pettigrew killed all those muggles and he faked his death. Like Sirius and Harry’s father, Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus, a rat in particular.” He blinked slowly, the pieces slotting into place before a surprised look crossed his face, and she nodded at him. “You’re right, Scabbers _was_ Pettigrew.”

“We were heading back to the castle when the full moon was high in the sky and Lupin forgot to take his Wolfsbane Potion, and because of it, Pettigrew escaped. Later in the night Harry and I travelled back in time using my time turner to save Sirius' life as well as Buckbeak's, Hagrid's hippogriff."

"Where did ye get a time turner?" He asked surprised, knowing how rare they were, as well as the dangers that were said to come with the use of one.

"It was given to me by Professor McGonagall for academic use with the approval of Dumbledore and The Ministry. That year I was taking far too many classes that I actually had three separate lessons at the same time on my schedule,” she shook her head slightly. “When we got Sirius and Buckbeak to safety, we went back to the hospital wing and I collapsed. It was discovered that I had some internal bleeding that was caused during the incident with the Whomping Willow. If I hadn’t been sent to St. Mungo’s as quickly as I had been, I could’ve died."

Bloody hell, he’d never met someone who’d had so many near death experiences and she was barely half-way through her retelling of past events. He was sure there was going to be more, too, and he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to hear the rest of it.

“Fourth year?” He prompted gently.

"That was a nightmare,” she sighed. “Due to Harry’s name being selected, he and Ron refused to speak to each other and I was, of course, left stuck in the middle. And you already know how mean he was during the Yule Ball.” He reached out to take her other hand, too, and he rubbed comforting circles on the back of her hands with his thumbs. “The second task of the tournament was for the champions to have something taken from them, something they would miss the most, and have it be put at the bottom of The Black Lake for them to rescue, and I was Viktor’s.”

"Did ye get hurt?" He asked, hoping that she didn’t. There were rumours to what lived in The Black Lake and they weren’t known for being welcoming either.

"No, I was perfectly safe; Dumbledore placed us into a deep sleep, it was only broken when we broke through the surface of the water. It was the third task when everything truly went to hell. Harry’s blood was used in a ritual to bring Voldemort to full power, he was almost killed and Cedric Diggory was murdered for no reason other than him being there."

He remembered seeing the news paper articles that soon followed, and despite what they’d said, he’d known Harry and Dumbledore to be true. Oliver had spent three years with the younger wizard and knew him to not be a liar, especially about things as big as Voldemort returning. 

“Fifth year?"

"That was the year everything officially went to hell," she sighed. "Delores Umbridge had been placed at Hogwarts to monitor Dumbledore as well as change the curriculum for DADA so we weren’t allowed to practice any defensive magic. Everything was theory based and one of our lessons had actually been named ‘how to run away and hide.’” She said, and Oliver stared at her in disbelief, he hadn’t heard something more ridiculous. "Fudge thought Dumbledore was after his position and he wanted to make him look as though he couldn’t do his job, by telling lies about Voldemort being back. He believed Dumbledore was preparing an army of students to fight against The Ministry, so they banned practical defensive magic. With Voldemort having returned, we were in danger and so we organised a group we called Dumbledore's Army. It was a secret society of students learning defensive and offensive magic under the radar and without the knowledge of the professors." Oliver blinked in surprise, before a proud smile pulled at his mouth. "Harry was the one to actually teach the students, but I did everything else; the lesson planning, the organising of scheduled meetings to coincide with everyone's studies and Quidditch practices and what not. I even wrote his speeches for him, and we held the meetings in the Room of Requirement."

"Ye found the Room af Requirement?" He said impressed, having heard of it but never have seen it himself.

"Yes, but sometime during April, Marietta Edgecombe gave us up to Umbridge and the club disbanded. I cursed the signup sheet so I would know if someone betrayed us. Edgecome has a lovely forehead filled with acne that spells out 'sneak' and she can't cover it with magic. She's got it forever," she admitted. Oliver wasn’t sure if he should be proud or afraid, he was a little of both. “After exams were over, Harry had a vision of Sirius being tortured and we were caught by Umbridge trying to use the floo network. After she threatened him with _The Cruciatus_ and physically harmed him, I knew I had to do something, so I told her Dumbledore had a secret weapon and I led her to the Forbidden Forest where she was carried away by a herd of centaurs and Grawp.”

"What's a Grawp?" He asked confused.

"Hagrid's brother, he's a full giant.” Oliver blinked. “Well, after that we escaped and flew to the Ministry of Magic and we found our way to the Department of Mysteries. I don't really remember much of that night; it's a bit of a blur, but I know there was battle and The Order arrived to help us. There was a battle between us and some Death Eaters and The Order finally showed up. I was distracted whilst duelling another and Dolohov came up behind me, I was able to silence him but that didn’t stop him from cursing me. I just remember the pain, the burning raging through me until everything went black. A week later I woke in St. Mungo’s with the healers explaining they’d never seen anything like the curse I’d been subjected to, and they were unsure of how I survived. I had a medication regime of ten different potions four times daily for three months, as well as bed rest for a month. It took me that long to be able to walk without aid. When I woke, that’s when I learned of Sirius’ death and I never had the chance to exonerate him like I promised him I would,” she said quietly, a tear falling from the corner of her eye. Oliver reached up to wipe it away, before taking hold of her hands once more and placing a kiss to the back of each hand.

“Can ye tell mae aboot yer sixth year?" He asked gently. “We’re almost done now.”

She sniffled and nodded her head, gathering herself and her strength. “That year, Harry was convinced of Malfoy being a Death Eater and that he’d been given a task to complete by Voldemort. It born an on obsession and he all but followed him everywhere. Katie Bell touched a cursed object and almost died although it was partially her fault; she shouldn't have opened the package, especially as it wasn't addressed to her. Ron was poisoned, too, but he was saved by a bezoar. Harry lost his temper and attacked Malfoy with a dark curse that he read in a potions book and he almost died. Luckily, Snape arrived in time was able to heal Malfoy. At the end of the year Death Eaters were able to enter Hogwarts’ grounds and a battle broke out with Dumbledore being killed and Bill being attacked by Greyback. I was knocked back into a wall and I hit my stomach off the corner of the stone wall and I fell to the ground, landing on shards of broken glass that pierced my stomach. I was unconscious for a couple of day and when I woke, I was told of Dumbledore’s death."

"What happened after yer sixth year?"

"We devised a plan to safely collect Harry from The Dursleys, as we couldn’t risk him being harmed now that Voldemort’s return was known to the public. There was fourteen of us in total, and we used Poly-juice Potion to transform six of into Harry. The other seven were to act as escorts and we all separated and took separate methods of travel as well as routes to the destination place. The idea was to confuse any possible attackers as no one would know which Harry was the real one. The moment we left the house we were ambushed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I was with Kingsley that night, I was hit with a spell while trying to defend against the others and it sent me hurtling off the thestral and towards the ground, and thankfully Kingsley caught me. When were arrived at our destination it was to see George laid out on the couch and covered in blood, Snape being the reason he lost his left ear.”r4e

"A was gunna ask, hoo does George have both ears?"

"He doesn't," she replied and he looked at her confused. "I knew that it bothered him, the looks he would get from others, and that’s why they both grew out their hair. I created a potion for him, it acts as on illusion; it just looks as though his ear’s there when in fact it’s not. He takes the potion every morning."

"Tha’s brilliant," he said impressed.

"It was the least I could do for him after everything he’s done for me,” she replied. “Anyway, I collapsed and passed out at seeing him in such a state. When I came I was told of Moody and Hedwig dying, and soon Bill and Fleur's wedding arrived. During the reception, Kingsley's patronus arrived and told us of The Ministry falling to Voldemort and Death Eater’s soon arrived. Harry, Ron and I left as quickly as we could and the chaos covered our escape, as we officially started The Hunt.”

"The hunt?” He frowned. “A thought ye went on the run"

"We had found a way to destroy Voldemort once and for all, but we had to search for them. Do you know what a Horcrux is?" She asked. Of course he didn't; there were less than ten people in the world that did, and she, Harry and Ron were three of them.

"Naw, what is it?" He wasn’t blind to the way her features filled with disgust and so he assumed it wasn't good.

"A Horcrux is a form of magic that is so dark and horrific there’s no more than ten people that know of its existence. Due to the nature of the magic, it was wiped from the world and kept a secret."

"An’ yer one af them," he said knowingly.

She nodded. "Yes ,I am, as are Harry and Ron. When I first learned of Horcruxes I threw up," she warned him. "The first Horcrux was created by Herpo the Foul, and as I mentioned before, the nature of it is so terrifying that they have been kept from the Wizarding World and only a handful of people know about them. Very few books actually mention them and those that do have as little detail as possible. They are created by committing the most supreme act of evil; murder. When a murder is committed, particularly with a dark form of magic, it rips your soul apart and you lose a fragmented piece.” She explained and a horrified look crossed his face. The spell and ritual are performed and that fragmented piece of soul is later taken and encased in on object or living being, with the intention of achieving immortality. The detached fragment of soul will remain the way it was when it was placed in the object. If the Horcrux is created at the age of twenty-five years old and it is opened at the age of seventy-five years old, the soul fragment will reattach itself and revert you back to the age of twenty-five. It took us a while to learn that Voldemort had created seven Horcruxes and in order for us to win the war, all Horcruxes had to be destroyed before we killed Voldemort.”

"The Heir of Slytherin my second year, it was Ginny.” He frowned in confusion. “Ginny was in the possession of a diary that once belonged to Tom Riddle, a young Voldemort. When he was sixteen he created his first Horcrux, the diary. When Ginny wrote in the diary, his fragmented soul took possession of her body and controlled her actions. She released the basilisk and wrote the threatening messages on the walls. It was all her. When Harry destroyed the diary in The Chamber, we didn’t know what it was at that point in time.”

"Hoo do ye destroy a Horcrux?"

"With great difficulty,” she replied, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. “Fiendfyre or basilisk venom are the only ways to destroy, unless it has a human host and then they must be killed. Harry destroyed the diary with a fang from the basilisk he killed. Dumbledore found another Horcrux the summer before my sixth year and he destroyed it using Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Seeing as it’s goblin made, it has the ability to absorb properties, so when Harry used the sword to kill the basilisk, it absorbed the venom and could therefore be used to destroy the other Horcruxes, too."

“So, we were on the run with no idea what we were looking for, only that we knew the Horcruxes would be objects of great value to Voldemort. We learned that he had used Slytherin's locket and after some research, questioning a house-elf, and Mundungus who stole the locket from Grimmauld Place, we discovered that Umbridge had it. Using Poly-juice Potion we were able to break out way into The Ministry of Magic, however, things didn't quite go as planned, but we were able to get the locket and escape. We were unable to open the locket, as well as being unable to destroy it as we didn’t yet know how to."

“Ye broke intae The Ministry?” He questioned in disbelief.

“Certainly did,” she nodded.

“A’m not sure a believe ye,” he said.

She snorted at him, before looking down at their joined hands, a smile tugging at her mouth.

"We were moving from place to place every few days and we were low on food, and Ron was always complaining that he was hungry and all we had to survive on was berries and mushrooms and whatever else I could find. Not being able to take his complaints or knowing Harry needed to survive, I started to give my portion of food to them. They never noticed I wasn’t eating as they were always too busy arguing, complaining or hiding away from each other. Due to the dark magic on the locket affecting those that wore it, we took it in turns, making sure no one had it longer than a few hours. The locket affected Ron more so than Harry and I, and before I knew it there was a huge argument, Ron stormed out of the tent and left. He didn’t come back. He abandoned us.”

Tears fell down her face and Oliver hated seeing her so sad, he hated seeing her being reminded of the pain she’d been forced to endure.

"When Christmas arrived, Harry and I went to Godric's Hollow to visit his parents' grave. He’d never actually seen it before and whilst I was hesitant, I couldn’t refuse him anything. Whilst there Harry ran into Bathilda Bagshot and she led us into a trap in which Harry and I were attacked by Death Eaters and Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini. I pushed Harry out of a second floor window and I didn't have time to cast a Cushioning Charm, I don’t know how either of us were able to walk afterwards,” she shook her head.

"A few weeks after, I was sleeping in the tent when I was woken by a noise and I went to investigate, seeing it to be both Harry and Ron laughing. He’d abandoned us for months and suddenly just turned up out of the blue, expecting everything to be fine. I lost my temper and slapped him and I refused to talk to him, even if he had managed to get his hands on Gryffindor’s Sword and destroy the locket. To this day, I still have no idea where he got it. Not long after that we were captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. I threw a Stinging Hex at Harry's face to disguise his true identity. When Bellatrix was alerted to us being in possession of Gryffindor’s Sword, she lost her temper. She believed she was in possession of the real sword and had it locked away in her vault, but it was actually a fake and we had the real one. Harry and Ron were put in the dungeons and I was kept upstairs for Bellatrix to question.”

She started sobbing uncontrollably and suddenly and Oliver pulled Hermione into him, shifting her so she was leaning against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, rocking them both slightly as he whispered words of comfort into her ear.

"I can't Oliver, I can't tell you," she sobbed.

"Ye can, yer’ve done so well tae tell mae a’thing up tae this point. Don' let this beat ye, yer stronger than tha’. Tell mae an’ don’ give in tae yer fears. Don’ let her win," he said quietly.

Hermione’s cries didn’t stop but she calmed herself down a little, she took a breath to prepare herself.

"I was held down with Bellatrix screaming in my face, demanding that I answer her questions. She cast _The Cruciatus_ and I held out as long as I could, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing my pain, not wanting her to win, but there’s a reason she was Voldemort’s right hand and she broke me. I don’t know how long I screamed with everyone laughing at me. They asked me about The Order, what they were planning, where they were hiding, who our spies were, and when I refused to answer it only made her angry and she decided to change tactics. Rabastan Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback and Amycus Carrow were called forward, all with the intentions of raping me,” she whispered. His grip on tightened and he felt his teeth grinding as he rubbed comforting circles on her back.

"I fought them off as best as I could but I was too weak and exhausted from the torture I’d endured, but I was able to knee one of them in the grin,” she said, pride filling her tone and he chuckled at her, feeling pride sweep through him. “Thankfully, Lucius Malfoy stepped in and stopped them from being able to harm me, refusing to allow such behaviour to occur in his home even if I was of a lesser blood. Do you have any idea of what it feels like to owe a life debt to a Death Eater? I made me sick to my stomach, knowing he could call in that debt whenever he wished to, but luckily I was able to repay my debt to him before he could call upon it.”

"Hoo?"

"I saved his son during the Final Battle, but that’s further on in the war. So, after they were denied harming me in such a way, Bellatrix thought it best to take matters into her own hands. She stabbed me in the stomach, leaving the blade inside so if I were to move too much it would cause more damage, and with a cursed blade she carved into my arm. I blacked out from the pain. When I came back to I was being carried by Dean Thomas, and I remember seeing Bill Weasley running towards me. He took me from Dean and carried me inside a cottage. I can’t remember much because I kept slipping in and out of consciousness, but no one else could be trusted so I know Charlie was called from Romania, with him being a Dragon Tamer he has some medical training and he did his best to tend to me and heal my injuries. A few days later I came to and discovered Dobby had died. He was a house-elf, a friend and he gave his life for ours. He rescued us all from Malfoy Manor, including the prisoners from the dungeons.”

"Once I woke it didn’t take long to figure out that if Bellatrix was so protective of her vault, there was something in there she didn’t want us to know about, and it was why she had the reaction she did to us possibly breaking in.”

"A Horcrux," Oliver muttered in understanding.

"A Horcrus,” she confirmed. “We devised a plan and left the following day. Using Poly-juice Potion and the hair I took from her, I turned myself into Bellatrix and with Harry disarming her, we had her wand, too. With the help of a goblin who’d been kept prisoner at Malfoy Manor, we were able to get into her vault. We almost died due to the whole vault being set with traps, but we managed to find Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup. The goblin double crossed us and left us to die, but we escaped from Gingrotts on the back of a dragon.”

Oliver looked down at the little witch held in his arms and against his chest, surprise filling his features. “A dragon?” He spluttered. She let out a little giggle and he felt his heart all but melt at the sound.

“Yes, a dragon. Harry had a connection to Voldemort and after stealing the cup, Harry learned that the Final Battle was upon us. We snuck into Hogsmeade and Dumbledore's brother helped us into Hogwarts through a secret passage way. With the help of Luna Lovegood we figured out that Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was what we thought was the last Horcrux, so Harry went to the Room of Requirement and Ron and I went to The Chamber of Secrets to retrieve the basilisk fangs. I destroyed the cup and we were almost drowned from doing so. The Final Battle had already started."

"We met up with Harry at the Room of Requirements and helped him to search for the diadem, and one we found it we were prevented from destroying by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle turned up. Crabbe cast fiendfyre and was unable to control it, all six of us nearly died. Harry saved Crabbe, Ron saved Goyle and I saved Malfoy."

"Payin’ aff yer debt tae Lucius Malfoy,” he commented.

She nodded. "The diadem was destroyed and we escaped just before the room was destroyed. That only left us with Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Harry disappeared and Ron and I separated and went to look for him, I was darting through the battle field and duelling whilst I was searching for him."

Oliver felt himself smiling; that had been she’d saved his life and she hadn’t even known it.

“I lost count of how many Killing Curses I’d dodged by the skin of my teeth," she sighed. "When Harry came back from the dead, Neville pulled the Gryffindor Sword from the sorting hat and he killed Nagini. And that was it, Harry and Voldemort battling for the fate of the world. Voldemort fell and Harry stood triumphantly."

He frowned thoughtfully. "But ye said there were seven Horcruxes, a only counted six. The diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem an’ the snake. Tha's six," he listed.

"Harry,” she said softly. “Harry was the seventh and final Horcrux." Oliver's eyes widened. "When Voldemort killed Harry, he destroyed his own Horcrux. It’s why they had the connection they did, because Harry had part of Voldemort’s soul in him."

"Hoo was Harry resurrected? Ye said so yerself, he died."

Hermione felt herself growing tired and she was very comfortable being held by Oliver, feeling the comfort and protection he was offering her and she couldn’t help basking in it. She couldn’t remember a time she’d felt so relaxed and safe. Oliver was right, telling him did make her feel better. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wasn't completely fine, but she felt better and she knew with time, it would continue to get better.

"He did. Do you know the tale of The Three Brothers?"

"Ye mean the legend af The Deathly Hallows? The cloak, the stone an’ the wand?"

"Yes, Dumbledore left me a book in his will, the tale of Beadle and the Bards and he’d scribbled a symbol on it. A triangle with a circle inside of it, with a line inside of that. It took most of the year, but after some help from Mr. Lovegood I figured out what it was. You see it wasn't a legend. The Deathly Hallows are real, they exist."

"What?" he said dumbly and he pushed Hermione away from him slightly so he could see her face.

"The Deathly Hallows exist, they’re real,” she repeated. “In Dumbledore's will he left Harry the first golden snitch he ever caught. Dumbledore was in possession of the Resurrection Stone and he hid in the snitch and when Harry died, the stone brought him back. Harry was left a family heirloom by his father and it was entrusted into the safe keeping of Dumbledore before he died. Dumbledore gave it to Harry for Christmas our first year."

"What was it?"

"An invisibility cloak." His eyes widened. "If you only knew how much trouble we avoided thanks to it," she smiled slightly. "That just leaves the Elder Wand. It belonged to Dumbledore and when he died, Voldemort found his grave and stole the wand wanting the control of the most powerful wand in existence, but he was furious when he wasn’t able to master it, and that’s why he killed Snape. He did so because he was of the belief that he was the true owner of the wand as he was the one to kill Dumbledore."

"A'm gettin’ the feeling tha’ he wisnae."

"No, he wasn't. You become the Master of the Elder Wand by disarming and not by killing. It was Malfoy's mission to kill Dumbledore and because he failed, Snape did it. But Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore before his death."

"Are ye sayin’ tha’ Malfoy, the little shit...” She giggled at him, a smiled pulling at his mouth at the sound. “Is the owner af the most powerful wand in existence?"

"Not anymore,” she shook her head. “When we were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, Harry disarmed several of those present, Malfoy being one of them."

"Harry is the Master af the Elder Wand?" He questioned.

"He used Malfoy's wand which belonged to him, to kill Voldemort."

"So he's the Master af the Elder Wand?" He repeated.

"Yeah, Harry has the Elder Wand," she said, but the tone of voice she used had him looking at her strangely.

"Yer lying," he frowned.

"No, I'm not," she said, a little too quickly to be believable.

"Ye are. What are ye hiding from mae? Yer've told mae a’thing, so what aren't ye telling mae now?"

She looked up at him and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you can’t repeat this. Fred and George don't even know what I'm about to tell you."

He felt himself perk up at that news; she was going to tell him something that was so important she hadn't even told the twins? He would know something they didn’t?

"A won't tell anyone," he promised.

"Harry’s no longer the Master of the Elder Wand. After the battle, Harry still had some residual anger in him and I caught him chasing after a Death Eater and was forced to disarm him before he caused some serious damage."

Oliver stared at her in surprise, his eyes wide and mouth parted. "Are ye saying tha’..." he started, but was unable to finish voicing his thoughts.

"That I am the Master of the Elder Wand? Yes, I am."

Oliver's mind was reeling at a million miles an hour.

"Oliver? Oliver?" Hermione spoke, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention. Slowly, he blinked before looking at her. "Are okay, you zoned out on me?"

"Aye, a'm alright," he said quietly, staring at her. "Can a see it? The Elder Wand?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders before picking up her wand and handing it over to him. He took it carefully and stared at it thoughtfully, feeling the buzz of its power prickling at his skin.

"It doesn't look like Dumbledore's wand," he commented.

"How do you know what his wand looked like?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"He taught one af mae classes in me first year, he was standing in fer the day as one me professors had a family emergency."

“It doesn't look like his wand because it's my wand, the wand I got from Ollivander's when I was eleven. The way the Elder Wand works is that the person who disarms you becomes the Master, but instead of taking the persons wand and using it for yourself, the power is transferred to the new Master's wand."

"So if a was tae disarm ye, the power af the Elder Wand would be transferred tae me wand?"

"Yes, that's why Voldemort stealing Dumbledore's wand didn't work. Not only did he not disarm him, he had the wrong wand entirely. You're not going to disarm me, are you?"

"Naw,” he shook his head. “Tha’ kind af power belongs in the hands af someone who knows hoo tae protect it," he said and Hermione smiled at him.

Oliver was quick to notice that her smile was different. Usually you could see that she was haunted by her past, in the way it clung to features, making her seem sad and older than she was. But this smile, he saw a brightness to her eyes that he hadn’t before. 

"Wait, a've jus’ remembered somethin’, dinnae ye tell mae the twins disarmed ye befere? Doesn't tha’ mean tha’ one af them has the Elder Wand?"

"No, when they let me out and gave me my wand back, I disarmed them both as a precaution. I’m still the Master of the Elder Wand.”

He gave her wand back to her and she reached over to place it on the surface of the bedside table, before laying down on the mattress and getting herself comfortable. Oliver mimicked her actions, laying himself down and she turned on her side so they were facing each other. Silently, they watched each other, allowing their thoughts and emotions to settle.

"Tell me a secret," Hermione requested quietly. He raised an eyebrow. "I've just told you one of the biggest secrets of my life, only Harry knows as he was involved.”

"Fair point, but a don' have many secrets; a'm an open book most af the time," he replied.

"What about the times when you're not?"

He shrugged his shoulders and a thoughtful look pulled at his face. "When a was six, a broke me training broom an’ blamed me Da. Me Ma went on a rampage through the manor." Hermione giggled and he smiled at the sound. "He still gets glares from time tae time, she never got over it. Yer turn,"

"I repeat, I have just told you one of the biggest secrets of my life."

"Then tell mae another. What happened tae yer parents?"

She flinched back slightly a pain filled her features. He wondered if he’d pushed her too far for the night, but to his surprise she answered him.

"They died, that's why I don't live with them. Christmas, my sixth year, I obliviated them, gave them new identities and shipped them off to Australia, they’d always wanted to visit but had never had the chance. I sent them away for their safety, to protect them. I had to; I’m the most famous Muggleborn witch in the world.” He nodded in understanding and he reached over to wipe away a tear that fell down her cheek. "Before Bill and Fleur's wedding I received word from The Australian Ministry that the trace that had been put on my parents alerted them to something strange. When they arrived at their house it was to find a bloodbath. They’d been tortured and slaughtered, but because I’d taken away their memories, they didn't know who I was. I sent them away to protect them and I failed."

"It wisnae yer fault," he said softly. "Ye did the best ye could tae protect them. It was jus’ unfortunate tha’ they were found." She slowly nodded and he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

"Have you picked your wedding party, yet?" She asked, changing the subject and he nodded in reply. "Are Fred and George a part of it?"

"Why?"

"I had planned on asking them to walk me down the aisle; I couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it. They’re the closest thing I have to a family.

"What aboot bridesmaids?"

"Just Fleur, she's six weeks pregnant and she won't be showing for a while yet, so we won't have a fit getting her in her dress."

"Have ye picked yer dress yet?"

"No, I'm cutting it a bit close; we're going to Muggle London sometime next week. The twins are forcing me to take the day off," she scowled and Oliver chuckled. "I believe it's your turn to tell me a secret."

He frowned thoughtfully. "When s was thirteen, a accidently set Professor McGonagall's hat on fire." Hermione burst out laughing and his mouth pulled into a smile.

"Merlin, imagine the look on her face," she laughed.

He snorted at her. "Don’ have tae, a was there tae witness it. Yer turn,"

"Okay, I've never told anyone this before. In my first year, I pranked Marcus Flint."

"Ye did? Why?" He asked, only to see her cheeks colouring pink. "Now a'm interested, tell mae," he said amused.

"I was angry and just happened to become my target."

"Why?"

"It was the first Quidditch match of the season, Harry’s first game and his broom was jinxed, so I was already feeling quite scornful, and then Flint was cheating and he stole the beaters’ bat and hit a bludger, which then smacked into you and you fell off your broom. I was already in a bit of a mood to begin with, so when he did that I just saw red and I vowed to get revenge." She was blushing furiously and he was grinned at her.

"Ye pranked him ‘coz he hurt mae?" He questioned, being amused by her reaction.

"Not entirely," she replied, burying her head under the blanket and he laughed at her.

"A think it's cute tha’ ye had a crush on mae," he said.

Hermione sat up quickly and threw the blanket off herself. "I did not!” She gasped in outrage and surprise. Oliver couldn’t help when he burst out laughing, seeing her bright red face from both her outrage and her embarrassment.

She picked up a pillow and hit him with it in the face. His laughter cut off immediately and he sat up and looked at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Oh, it's on!" He said, reaching to grab a pillow and hitting Hermione with it.

She yelped in surprise and fell back, sprawling on the mattress and laughing loudly. Oliver began repeatedly hitting her with the pillow and she fought back as best she could. She wasn’t sure how, but she’d managed to get the upper hand with Oliver being on back and Hermione kneeling beside him as she continuously whacked him the pillow. Hermione wasn’t expecting for Oliver to reach out and grab her arms and he gave a tug, she squeaked in surprise as she fell forward and landing on his chest. She looked at him with wide eyes as they gazed into each other’s eyes silently.

"It's early; we should probably get some sleep before we have to get up for work," Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"Aye, we probably should," Oliver agreed, but neither of them moved.

Oliver was watching for her reaction as he slowly lifted his head and Hermione lowered hers to meet him in the kiss. Their lips met and they moved together slowly and softly. The kiss ended all too soon in Oliver's opinion as Hermione pulled away from him and she turned on her side to face away from him and he frowned.

"You should get some sleep, you've got training in a few hours," she said quietly.

Oliver shifted behind her to get more comfortable.

"What are you doing?"

"Gettin’ comfortable," he answered.

"You're not going back to your own room?"

"Naw, why does it bother ye?" He asked with a smirk pulling at his mouth. She didn't answer. "A've been thinking..."

"That's dangerous," she quipped.

"Ow, tha’ wounded mae."

"I doubt it; you've got a huge ego."

Oliver bit back the retort of 'that's not the only thing that's huge,' knowing she wouldn't appreciate it and she’d likely hex him. "A've been thinking an’ ye havnae shown mae any af yer scars."

"That's because they’re hideous and a place I don't broadcast to the public."

"A’m gunna see them anyway on our wedding night."

Oliver noticed a change in her breathing, so he pulled her towards him and moved her until she was laid on her back. Her face was a little pale and she looked slightly anxious and uncomfortable. A thought suddenly occurred to him, something he probably should've thought about before.

"Sparrow?" He said carefully and watching her for a reaction. "Are ye a virgin?"

Her face flamed bright red and he already had his answer, he didn't need her to confirm it.

"Yes," she squeaked, embarrassed. "And don't judge me, when have I had time to have a relationship?"

Learning that she hadn't given that part of herself away to someone actually pleased him. It meant that she would be his completely, and no one but him would experience it with her. He thought that maybe he was caring far too much, but he realised that he, Oliver Wood, was falling for Hermione Granger. And he was falling hard and fast. That realisation scared him a little.

"A'm not judging ye," he said honestly.

"Good, now stop asking me awkward questions and let me sleep,” she glared.

Hermione turned back onto her side and Oliver pulled her back against his chest, slipping his arm around her before she batted at his hand and then lifted it off her. Oliver chuckled and put his arm back over her waist, she sighed in annoyance and a smirk pulled at his mouth. Once more she lifted his hand off her and she shuffled forward out of his reach and he chuckled. Seeing Quaffle sat on the floor by the bed and watching her, Hermione reached over to pull him up onto the mattress and laid himself down in front of her, and she snuggled against him.

"Before I forget," Hermione said tiredly. "I'm allergic to any _and_ all Pain Relief Potions and Pepper-up Potions. It's a side effect of all the torture. We learned that the hard way."

"A'll remember," he promised.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 23

**Wood Apartment - Saturday 11th July 1998**

Oliver woke up to find that Hermione wasn't in bed beside him and neither was Quaffle, but he wasn't surprised after the revelations of her past yet it didn't stop a small frown from appearing on his face. After climbing out of bed he headed for the kitchen, where he found his breakfast waiting for him on the table and at the sight, a smile pulled at his mouth.

He sat down to eat and he allowed himself to fully process everything he'd learned earlier that morning. He couldn't believe that Hermione had been through all of that, and while she may have had her friends by her side, she'd still been alone. She'd had to learn to handle the stress of war at such a young age, and how to handle the aftermath. She'd been taking care of others for so long, that it was now time for someone to take care of her. It was his turn to show her she could have a peaceful and happy future, because somehow he knew he would have a happy life with Hermione, a difficult, but happy one.

He was usually the shag 'em and leave 'em type, but with Hermione, it would be different and not just because he was marrying her, but because he genuinely cared for her and he cared what she thought of him. He was falling for her, he realised, but he thought it odd given the short time frame.

He found that he looked forward to the mornings when she would have breakfast made and she would smile at him greeting and they'd chat and laugh over breakfast and he always looked forward to the goodbye kisses to the cheek. He looked forward to the bright smiles she gave him when she returned from work and the times when she'd allow him to kiss her or touch her. He wanted a future with her and seeing as he'd never felt that way about another woman before, it scared him.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Something was different about Hermione. That was the first thing Fred and George thought when they saw her. They had been watching her all morning; her laugh seemed carefree, her smile wider and her eyes brighter. She held herself with more confidence and she walked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Knowing that something had definitely happened to cause those changes, Fred and George shared a looked before heading over to the counter where Hermione stood waiting to serve the customers.

"Mia?" They asked together.

"Yes, my red-headed demonic twins," she replied and they both snorted.

"What happened, you look different?" Fred questioned cautiously.

Hermione shrugged in response, her voice being emotionless. "You blocked off the floo."

"We're sorry," George said sincerely, "But we thought it best that Oliver had chance to be the one to comfort you given your soon to be marriage."

"He knows," she said.

"He knows?" They echoed, their surprise evident on their faces and in their voice.

"I told him this morning after he broke down my defences."

"Everything?" Feed

"No, not everything, just about the last few years and what happened to my parents. I wasn't emotionally ready to tell him anything else."

Fred and George's eyes were drawn to each other and after sharing a nod they turned back to her.

"Say, why don't you visit Oliver at the stadium for lunch?" George offered.

"And while you're at it, take the rest of the day off, too," Fred added.

"But I can't," she protested.

"'Course you can; it's a Saturday so we close up early anyway, we're ahead of schedule for the stock in the back and we've got the shop floor covered. Take the rest of the day off."

"What about Quaffle?" She questioned.

"Take him with you, if he's not allowed into the stadium just send for us and we'll come pick him up," Fred shrugged his shoulders. "What do you say Quaffle? Do you wanna go and see ya daddy?" He asked, looking down at the large puppy and he barked excitedly in response, pulling amused laughs from them.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Hermione floo'd to the Puddlemere United Stadium and as she stepped out of the fireplace, she found her way down a long corridor, her eyes scanning her surroundings as she did so, the walls being occupied by large hall of fame Quidditch jerseys from previous players throughout the years. When she reached the end of the corridor, she came into a large open space that had a rounded off section where the reception area was housed. The floor was made of white marble and the walls were white with a thick horizontal Puddlemere blue stripe in the centre of the wall and a smaller horizontal yellow stripe just above it. The walls were lined with the Quidditch jerseys and moving photos of the current Puddlemere United team and Hermione couldn't stop the snort of amusement when she caught sight of Oliver's photo, in which he was beaming a dazzling smile that was sure to melt the hearts of his fans.

As Hermione approached the reception desk and her footsteps brought attention to her presence, the receptionist looked at Hermione appraisingly before noticing Quaffle by her side, and just when Hermione thought she was going to be told that dogs weren't allowed in the building, the receptionist's eyes widened and she froze in her seat.

"You're Hermione Granger," the blonde-haired, greened eyed witch muttered.

Hermione gave a tolerant smile. "Yes I am. I was wondering if I could please see Oliver Wood."

"I..." She cleared her throat. "Of course, Miss. Granger, I'll inform him of your arrival."

"Thank you, just tell him that Sparrow is here please," Hermione said.

The receptionist got up from her chair and walked towards the large glass windows that looked out over the pitch and stands and she walked through the door, down the stands of the coach's box and to the Coach who looked more than a little frazzled. He was currently pacing back and forth, flipping through a clipboard and running his hand through his hair. It was clear he was stressed but she couldn't blame him since the match was on Wednesday and not only would it be their first match since the war, but it was the first match of the league cup.

"Coach Burton, Sir," the receptionist said anxiously; she hated interrupting him during training, but it was Hermione-Bloody-Granger that was waiting at her desk.

"What?" He said briskly, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.

"Mr. Wood has a visitor, Sir; she said to tell him it was Sparrow."

Coach Burton sighed in annoyance before lifting his head to look the large clock above the stands, seeing there was only ten minutes until one o'clock.

"Send them down," he said and the receptionist nodded, and swiftly walked up the stands and back into the building.

"WOOD! YOU HAVE A VISITOR! YOU ALL MAY AS WELL GO FOR LUNCH!" He yelled to the players on the pitch.

"Who is it?" Oliver asked after flying back down to the coach's box and dismounting his broom.

"Collins said it was someone named Sparrow."

Oliver's eyes quickly flickered to the stands in anticipation; she was going to meet the team and he couldn't wait to wipe the smug smirks off their faces. He hadn't revealed anything about Hermione since the day of the pairing and he'd been under the constant teasing of his teammates, but they were going to get the shock of their lives. Meeting his teammates also came with the unfortunate task of meeting the wives and girlfriends, and Oliver could honestly say he didn't like a single one of them as he thought them all to be rudely offensive and obnoxious. They were like vultures around a dead carcass, but he was more than confident that Hermione could hold her own against them so he wasn't worried.

His teammates had noticed the movement of his eyes and mistook it for panic, smirks pulling at their faces.

"So, we're finally gunna meet the future Mrs. Wood then?" Pallie said, looking as though he'd just won the league cup.

"I can't wait to meet this unattractive bookworm of yours," Malloy said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Oliver tried to stop it but a small smirk twitched at his mouth and seeing the action, Coach Burton raised a curious eyebrow.

~000~000~000~

Several minutes later the receptionist returned and she looked to Hermione. "You may go down Miss. Granger," she informed her.

Hermione smiled in thanks before looking down to her large puppy. "You wait here, I'll whistle when you can come down, okay?"

Quaffle barked in response and she scratched behind his ears before heading for the doors and walking down the stands. She kept her head down to watch where she was walking so she didn't slip or trip, and doing one last check of making sure she looked presentable, not wanting to embarrass Oliver by having ink or stains from brewing potions on her clothing.

That day she was white converse on her feet, a pair of black shorts and Fred's old Gryffindor Quidditch jersey, it having '21' on the back rather than George's '12.' The jersey itself was too big on her and she'd folded the sleeves to better fit her but she'd allowed the jersey to fall to her mid-thigh, it covering her shorts and looking more like a dress on her. She had her hair pulled back from her face in an half-up half-down style with her curls hanging down her back.

As if feeling all the stares on her as she neared Oliver, she looked up and came to a stop, frozen, as everyone stared at her in complete surprise and muttered words of curses sounded in the otherwise silence.

"Hermione Granger?" Malloy questioned in surprise, his voice rising slightly.

"She's beautiful," Pallie whispered with wide eyes.

Clearing her throat, Hermione continued to approach them. "Why are you so surprised? I mean, I know I don't look particularly pretty but I didn't think I was that bad," she said, looking down at herself with a slight frown.

Oliver frowned; she was always so self-critical but he had every intention of changing that, of getting her to herself the way he saw her, he just knew he had to be patient.

"Yer beautiful, ye jus' don' see it," Oliver said seriously.

"Let's agree to disagree, shall we?"

Oliver let the subject drop as he didn't want to argue with her; mainly because he was sure he'd lose and likely get hexed, too.

"Yer wearing the wrong jersey," Oliver observed.

"Oh right, sorry. I forgot I should probably support my favourite team whilst I'm here," she replied.

She pulled her wand from the waistband of her shorts and she transfigured it into a Chudley Cannons jersey. Oliver scowled, Hermione laughed at him and Coach Burton watched the two interact with silent amusement.

"What? The cannons are my favourite team," she said innocently before transfiguring it into a Puddlemere United jersey.

Oliver's scowl disappeared and he motioned for her to turn around. She did so and pulled her hair over her shoulder, giving him a view of the back of it, it saying 'Pallie, 33'. The team started laughing at Oliver's expression of disbelief.

A smile pulling at her mouth, Hermione took pity on him and transfigured it say 'Wood, 32' and Oliver smiled happily at the sight. He had to admit that she looked good in his jersey, but she would look better in one of _his_ and not a transfigured one that would wear off in a few hours. She would definitely look better in his jersey after having...He shook his head.

"Better?"

"Better, so what are ye doin' here?" He asked curiously.

"The twins gave me the afternoon off and I'd thought I'd bring you lunch since you complain about the cafeteria food so much, but if you want me to leave..." She trailed off and made as if to turn and leave and Oliver shook his head, smiling slightly.

Given that he'd been in a foul mood all morning as training hadn't been going well, his teammates found it amusing that he hadn't stopped smiling since Hermione had arrived.

"I made enough for the team, but I didn't know they'd be here," she motioned to the wives and girlfriends in the family box.

Oliver snorted. "As amazing as yer cooking is, a'm pritty sure they jus' had lunch at a five-star restaurant."

"They had lobster, we're having fish finger sandwiches," she replied, opening her beaded bag, putting her hand in and drawing out the bag of food.

"Is it edible?" He asked, looking to the brown paper bag cautiously.

"Has my food let you down yet?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Naw," he admitted, shaking his head. She nodded, satisfied."Where's Quaffle? Did ye leave him with the twins?"

"Nope," she answered, popping the 'p', and she towards the stands, brought a hand up to her mouth and whistled loudly.

Loud, excited barking could be heard as the large puppy barrelled out of the doors, ran down the stands, almost falling in the process, and he ran straight past Hermione and jumped up at Oliver. He chuckled and bent to pick him, scratching behind his ears as Quaffle licked his cheek.

"A'm surprised Collins let him in the building," Oliver commented.

"The receptionist?" She asked and he nodded. "I think she was going to say something but then realised who I was and kept quiet."

Oliver snorted. "Probably from fear af receiving a hex from ye."

"I wouldn't do that," Hermione responded.

"Ye hexed mae on our first date," he argued and his teammates, who hadn't taken their eyes of them, blinked in surprise and amusement at that revelation.

"Yeah, I did," she agreed with a laugh. "But you asked me to so you can't complain."

"She hexed you?" Pallie asked surprised, drawing attention to himself.

Oliver turned back to the team, only just remembering that they were there and he shook his head. "Aye, a suppose introductions are in order. Hermione, this is Jack..."

"Pallie, starting chaser, been with Puddlemere for six years and starting chaser for four. You are the highest scoring chaser in the league and have been for the past three years and you have a ratio of 4:1, meaning that for every five times you enter the scoring zone, you score four times and miss once. By the way, were you aware that you tend to favour the left hoop?"

They all stared at her, stunned by words and Oliver felt his head spin.

"Hoo did ye know tha'?" Oliver asked, putting Quaffle down on the floor and he sat obediently by their sides.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I know a lot about Quidditch."

"An' ye let me talk aboot it fer hours?"

"It wasn't my fault that you assumed I knew nothing about the sport, and anyway, it was sweet that you wanted me to learn about the profession that you love so much. I wasn't going to stop you; I don't think I've seen you so happy in the time I've known you," she spoke, her cheeks colouring at the intense gaze he was sending her way.

"Me, do me next..."

Hermione cleared her throat, being grateful for the distraction. "Grady Thompson, starting seeker, you've been with Puddlemere for five years, you were reserve seeker for only two and you're ranked seventh for the league's best seeker. And you also have an average of catching the snitch in approximately three and a half hours."

"I didn't even know that," Coach Burton said, looking at Hermione with a curious crinkle in his forehead.

"And you're Coach Burton, but everyone knows who you are, you need no introduction."

He chuckled at her and stepped closed to shake her hand and she smiled at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Granger. I dare say you need no introduction either," he replied, her cheeks darkening slightly and Oliver chuckled. "Tell me, what else have you noticed?" Coach Burton asked with a quill in hand, poised and ready to take down notes.

Hermione smiled at him before opening her bag and removing a muggle pen. "Here, use this instead," she handed him the pen and he looked at it confused. "It's basically a self-inking quill but without the mess."

"Thanks, now the team, tell me," he demanded.

"Coach, cannae this wait until after lunch?" Oliver asked.

"Oh right, lunch, of course. You're staying, right?"

"If you would like me to I can," Hermione nodded.

"You're staying," he ordered and the team rolled their eyes at him.

Hermione handed him a sandwich, an apple and a cereal bar and he looked at them strangely before shrugging and walking back to his office. She handed everyone else a sandwich, apple and cereal bar, too, and Oliver guided her over to the railing and they sat down on the floor, facing each other with their legs crossed and Quaffle sitting next to them. The team took their lunch and sat down in the stands, their eyes watching the soon to be married couple carefully.

"I can't believe he's marrying Hermione Granger," Thompson muttered.

"I can't believe he kept it from us, Bishop spoke, annoyed.

"How'd he get so lucky?" Malloy asked.

"Don't know, but whatever he did, I want to know his secret," Pallie muttered.

"We're all either engaged or married," Briggs pointed out. "And if we break off the engagements, we'll be eligible for the marriage law and we'll be matched by the Ministry."

"Seems to have worked out for Wood, lucky bastard," McGee said. "She's obviously not a galleon digger, look at the way she's dressed compared to them, " he pointed in the direction of the family box where their other halves were sitting, bringing note to their expensive, tight and far from appropriate clothing and heels.

"And she's naturally beautiful," Kelsy piped up. "I don't think I've ever seen Gina without any makeup on," he said and they nodded in agreement.

"She's wearing his jersey for Merlin's Sake, I've never seen Jenny wear mine," Thompson spoke. "Apparently, it's not ladylike to parade around in men's clothing," he said, making a face and they snorted at him, but were in agreement; none of their partners would wear their jerseys either.

"He's smitten with her," Kings observed. "I've never seen him smile that much, or at all. In fact, he only smiles for the camera. He's falling for her, anyone can see that."

"Lucky bastard," Martin muttered.

Whilst Hermione and Oliver were being closely watched by the team, she and Oliver were eating their lunch, quietly and comfortably conversing.

"So, why dinnae ye tell mae tha' ye knew so much aboot Quidditch? A don' know Pallie's player statistics an' a dinnae notice tha' he prefers the left hoop, an' am the bloody keeper. An' a definitely dinnae know tha' Thompson catches the snitch three an' a half hours intae a game," he spoke, sounding impressed and she smiled at him.

"I suppose I didn't tell you because I didn't want to take it away from you. Quidditch is your passion and I didn't want to steal your thunder, so to speak. It's like me with books," she shrugged and his smile softened.

"Alright then, question time. What was yer most treasured item as a child?" Oliver asked her. "An' it cannae be books," he added, chuckling when she scowled.

"It was my teddy bear, Harold. He was a white fluffy bunny rabbit with pink fluffy ears, pink fluffy feet and a pink fluffy stomach and he had two big googly eyes that scared the hell out of my roommates when I brought him to Hogwarts with me." Oliver burst out laughing and he clutched his ribs, Hermione all but giggling at him. "Hey, don't laugh at my Harold."

"Am sorry, a couldn't help it," he said, calming himself down. "Mine was..."

"If you say your broom I will hex you," she warned teasingly.

He chuckled. "It was a blanket. It was soft an' blue an' had me name written on it. A took it everywhere with mae until a was about eight an' then me da took it aff mae, but what he doesn't know is a found his hiding place an; stole it back."

She laughed at him. "Oliver Wood, a thief? I didn't see that one coming."

"Can ye really steal somethin' tha' belongs tae ye?" He asked amused and she looked at him thoughtfully.

"My turn, what's your fondest memory as a child?"

"Easy, gettin' me first broom an' I was finally allowed tae play Quidditch. Yers?"

"I was eight and my mum and I were baking in the kitchen and my dad attempted to help. Somehow the room ended up being covered in flour, water and eggshells and there was cookie mix stuck to the ceiling. My dad slipped on some water that was on the floor and he fell flat on his back. When he fell he tried to grab the counter to pull himself up, instead he grabbed the cookie tray and the tray went flying through the air and the cookie mix left the tray, flew through the air and then hit my dad in the face," she laughed and Oliver laughed loudly. Her smile and laughter suddenly died down and she looked sad before she shook her head and her smile returned. "Your turn,"

"What are ye afraid af?" He asked her daringly.

He had a list of them thanks to Fred and George but he hadn't looked at them because he wanted to learn them from her himself, he wanted her to be able to trust him enough that she felt comfortable to share such things. And besides, he was sure she hadn't told the twins everything and she was keeping things even from them no matter how close they'd grown.

"I don't think we should have that conversation here," she muttered.

"This is as good a place as any," he replied, reaching over and taking one of her hands in his as he ran his thumb over the back of her hand in comforting circles.

"You go first," she said, looking to be afraid of admitting any form of weakness to him.

"Alright, am afraid af failing as Captain an' am afraid af gettin' tae badly injured tha' a won't be able ta play Quidditch again," he admitted. "An' am afraid af muggle girls," he joked and he smiled when she laughed.

"You won't fail as Captain," she promised him. "You have the drive, passion, motivation and determination this team needs to get back in the league and win it," she said softly and he smiled. "And as for being afraid of getting injured, I'm rather certain that's every Quidditch player's fear. I've lost count of how many injuries Harry, Ginny, Ron and the twins have had over the years. Combined I think it's somewhere in the sixties, probably even more as I stopped counting when I reached the fifty mark."

He shook his head with a chuckle. "It's yer turn tae answer," he reminded her softly, reaching to take her other hand in his and running his thumb over the back of it, tracing patterns and circles comfortingly.

She took a deep breath. "You may not think it, being as I'm _The_ Hermione Granger, but I'm afraid of a lot of things. I'm afraid of the people I love dying. I'm afraid that Voldemort will come back, trust me when I say it is not possible, but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid of it happening. I'm afraid of clowns because those buggers are scary," she said. He didn't know what clowns were but he chuckled. "I'm afraid of the dark because I don't know what's hidden from my sight, I'm afraid of putting my family in danger because of who I am. And although I won't admit it to the twins, someone _is_ going to eventually make good on those death threats and attempt to kill me, or they'll go after my family to hurt me."

"All those fear are perfectly understandable, well except clowns 'coz a have naw idea what they are," he said, looking a little confused and her mouth pulled into a little smile. "But after ev'rything yer've been through, it's reasonable fer ye tae be afraid af those things. Over time they'll lessen an' ye'll conquer yer fears," he said confidently. She smiled at him softly and he smiled widely; he loved it when she smiled at him like that.

"I hope you're right," she spoke quietly, looking down at their joined hands.

"A've been meaning tae ask yea, what are ye gunna do after ye get yer NEWTs?"

"I've been thinking for a while now and I haven't been able to decide on what I want to do. I originally wanted to work for the Ministry in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures"

"But now?"

"I don't think I can ever forget how corrupt the Ministry was and I know that Kingsley will do wonders whilst in office, but the scars are still fresh."

"So what do ye want tae do?"

"I'm not sure, I don't want to leave the joke shop as the boys are making so much progress and I want to see them grow and continue to succeed, and now they're looking into buying a property in Hogsmeade. As much as I love my job and I love being there, I can't stay forever. I need to find something that's just for me. I think I'll slowly cut my hours back until I'm no longer working there as I can't just leave them. But I think I may have an idea."

"An' tha' is?" He asked curiously.

"It's just a thought and it doesn't mean I'm going to do it, it will probably get a lot of backlash."

"Well if yer've thought aboot it a wanna hear what this idea is."

"Fred and George mentioned something a couple of weeks ago; they reckon I could write a book."

Oliver looked thoughtful and he nodded slowly; it definitely suited her. "Aboot what?" He asked intrigued.

"If I can tell you about my past, then I can tell my family. And if I can tell my family, then I can tell the world. I think that it will help me to deal with everything that's happened, knowing that generations to come will learn about the war we fought so they could have a happy and free life. People should know the sacrifices that were made in order to secure their freedom. They should know about 'The-boy-Who-Lived', the Muggleborn who was 'The Brightest Witch' and the redhead that was the ultimate blood traitor. They should know about the innocent fugitive that broke out of one of the most heavily guarded prisons in order to protect his Godson, The Order of the Phoenix, the brave witches and witches that died, the potions master who was a spy, the free elf that gave his life and the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen."

Oliver smiled softly as she spoke passionately about her reasons as to why she wished to write a book. He knew that she had found what she wanted to do even if she hadn't decided on it yet.

"I imagine if I do write about the war I'll have to write seven books, one for every year we spent fighting. I'll mention the Horcruxes but won't talk about the nature of them or how to create one. I'll probably just say that he had objects that gave him immortality and they had to be destroyed before he could be killed. And I definitely won't mention the Deathly Hallows; we don't want people to go searching for them."

Oliver smiled at her. "A think yer've jus' found what ye want tae do with yer life," he commented and she looked at him confused. "Trust ma, bein' a writer is what ye want tae do an' ye'll be brilliant at it. Jus' think in years tae come, Hogwarts' students will be reading yer books as part af the curriculum fer history of magic, ye'll definitely make it a lot more interest an' the students may even stay awake in class," he said and she laughed, giving her head a light shake.

"You think I should do it?"

"A think ye should do it," he nodded in confirmation. "Writing doon yer past may even help ye come tae terms with it an' give ye the courage tae tell yer family. But doin' it may take ye a while."

"Not really," she shook her head. "Since I couldn't talk to Harry and Ron I wrote everything down. I have a box of journals in my room; I think there are three for every year. All I would have to do is edit them and then expand on it a little more, but I have the basics of each year written and I've just realised that when you asked what my fears were, I missed one."

"Ye did? What?"

"Flying,"

"Yer afraid af fly..." Oliver's voice rose in surprise and he cut off when Hermione removed a hand from his and slapped it over his mouth.

They had attracted attention, well the team was already watching them, but they were curious to know what they were talking about giving Oliver and Hermione's reactions.

"Yes, I'm afraid of flying," she glared at him in warning and he nodded. When she was sure he wasn't going to yell, she removed her hand from his mouth.

"Hoo can ye be afraid af flying? Ye flew on a thestral _an'_ a dragon."

"Exactly, I flew a thestral and a dragon and it was terrifying. I thought I was going to die and I already had a fear of flying from a bad experience in my first year flying lessons."

He frowned thoughtfully. "Am gunna teach ye hoo tae fly," he nodded to himself, pleased with his decision.

"No, you're not," she scoffed.

"Aye, a am,"

"Nope," she popped the 'p'.

"Aye, a am" he repeated.

"Not a chance in hell. You'll have a better chance of getting Fred and George to give up the joke shop and find a job at the Ministry."

"Am teaching ye tae fly," he said stubbornly.

"No,"

"What are ye actually afraid af? It cannae be the heights or speed since ye loved those roller coaster things so much, so what is it?"

"It's not the heights, speed or even flying in general, it's the whole plummeting to the ground from two hundred feet in the air thing. I used to clean my parents' living room with a bloody broom. Going from one thing to another is hard."

"We can deal with tha', a'll help ye get over yer fear."

"Not going to happen,"

"We'll see," Oliver smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright, lunch is over, back to work!" They heard Coach Burton yell, signalling the end of their lunch break and Hermione heard groaning from the other team members.

Hermione cleared away the food and she and Oliver stood up and slowly made their way over to Coach Burton with Quaffle following by their sides.

"Do ye wanna go shopping tanight? We can get some decorating done tomorrow if we get the supplies," Oliver asked.

"We can go tonight," she nodded in agreement.

"Why aren't we jus' using magic?"

"There's no fun in decorating with magic, you've got to do it the muggle way," she insisted.

He shook his head amused. "Are ye gonna tell mae what ye have planned fer the twa empty rooms?"

"No, it's a surprise, but I've only figured out what to do with one of the rooms, I'm not sure on what we can do with the other one yet."

"A need tae go shopping fer rings as well," he mentioned.

Hermione stopped walking and looked at him, before she continued on her path. "You don't need to go shopping for rings," she told him.

"What? Ye don' want an engagement ring? Why?" he asked confused and drawing the attention of the team as they grew closer to reaching them.

"I don't care for material possessions; you should know that by now. I don't want an engagement ring because this isn't a conventional marriage, we're being forced into this and you shouldn't have to waste your hard-earned money on something that you only wish to buy out of obligation, and on something that I don't need," she answered, missing his frown as they came to a stop beside the rest of his teammates.

"When I proposed to Hannah, she made me take the ring back because it wasn't big enough," Wilks muttered and the team nodded knowingly.

"And I don't need a wedding ring because the Ministry provides them," Hermione explained.

"What? Why? Hoo do ye know tha'?" Oliver asked.

"Mr. Weasly told me. They give us rings so they can track if we're following the rules of the marriage law, they have them charmed to ensure we're complying with their orders and carrying out our marital _duties_."

"You're going to be tracked?" Thompson asked in surprise and Hermione turned to look at them, nodding with a less than pleased look on her face.

"There are rules to our marriage. I have to be pregnant in a year's time and unless either one of us if proven to be infertile, we face time in Azkaban or exile from the Wizarding World."

"Are you being serious?" Pallie questioned looking horrified.

"Afraid so, we'll be getting regular checkups from the Ministry as well to see how our marriage is fairing," she answered, rolling her eyes and the team looked stunned. "Shouldn't you be training, you've got a match in four days."

"You heard the lady, back to work," Coach Burton said, wrapping his knuckles against the back of his clipboard.

Oliver shook his head, picked up his broom and he flew onto the pitch with the rest of the team following behind him.

"Oi, Wood! Why didn't you tell us that you're marrying Hermione Granger?" Wilks asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "She's more famous than a am; our marriage is gunna be put on a pedestal by the Ministry. She already get's ambushed when she goes out in public, it's at the point where she cannae leave her flat alone unless she glamours herself. An' a thought it would be funny tae see the looks on yer faces when ye met her, given the fact tha' ye assumed she wouldn't be beautiful."

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that right?" Kings spoke and Oliver nodded.

"Anno an' a don'' honestly know what a did tae deserve her," he said, his eyes darting down to the figures of Coach Burton and Hermione, a smile pulling at his face. "No one deserves her," he muttered and the team all shared a look of amusement; he was definitely besotted with her.

Before Coach Burton was given the chance to yell at them, they all flew off to their posts and began running the drills they had been given that morning.

"So, Miss. Granger..."

"Oh, just call me Hermione, Miss. Granger makes me feel old," she said and he chuckled at her.

"Hermione, what else can you tell me about the team?" He asked with the muggle pen she gave him in hand and a clipboard, ready to take down notes.

"How much time do you have?"

"You are _never_ leaving," he said and she chuckled at him.

"Well first off, I've noticed that the chasers don't seem to be on the same wavelength, they're not in sync and their movements aren't smooth and effortless; they're actually kind of sloppy. I imagine that problem has only worsened with there being no Quidditch or training due to the war." He nodded and wrote it down. "It's the same with your beaters, they're not in sync and they could work on their aim as well. Your seekers need to be more observant, the number of times they've missed being hit by a bludger by the skin of their teeth is alarming. They think that because they're above the game, they're invincible but they're not. They're at just as much risk since the seeker is the one that ends the game and is more than likely the one to pull a win out of the bag."

"What?" He asked, his facial expression turning from concentrated into a frown of confusion.

"Sorry, muggle saying. I mean that if you're one-hundred and forty points behind for the win, the seeker is the one you count on to secure the win by catching the snitch, which means they are more likely to be a target, especially when they're chasing after the snitch."

He nodded, scribbling away at his clipboard. "Got it, anything else?"

"Well, I think you should get some new equipment and practice robes, the chasers are dropping the quaffle a lot and I think it's because their gloves are worn and they're losing their grip, that's also dangerous because they may lose their grip on their broom and fall. Their practice robes are restricting their movements and I imagine that their game robes do the same as well, so you should maybe get a new design made up; something that is lightweight and stretches to allow movement." He looked at her in surprise. "In fact, I'll do it for you, I'll make some designs up and have them sent off and made. I have some connections with people that can help me out for a discount. The practice robes can be a tester and if you like them and they work as they should, I'll have the game robes made up the same."

"Do you have a job?" He asked, hopeful that she didn't.

"I work at my brother's joke shop. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, but I'm cutting back my hours soon so I can start studying for my NEWTs and then I think I'm going to write a book."

His face fell. "Do you think you'll have time to help me out here?"

"I don't see how I can be of any help to you."

"Trust me, you'll be _exceptionally_ helpful."

"Well seeing as you asked so nicely, I'll see what I can do and I'll talk to Oliver about it."

"Make sure that you do," he said gleefully.

"Coach, you may want to call a foul," she said, pointing to the players above them.

He blew his whistle without thinking. "FOUL!" he yelled and the team all stopped what they were doing and looked down at them.

"WHAT FER?" Oliver yelled confused; he hadn't seen anyone commit a foul.

Coach Burton turned to look at Hermione. "What for?" He asked bemused.

"Malloy, he was going to blatch Bishop," she explained.

"MALLOY FOR BLATCHING!" He repeated.

Malloy was stunned. "HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS GOING TO BLATCH?"

He turned back to Hermione. "How did you know?" Coach Burton asked Hermione in surprise and she chuckled.

"When you spent five years watching Fred and George Weasley playing Quidditch, you learn to observe carefully. If I can spot when they're going to foul then I can spot when anyone is going to foul."

"YOU WEREN'T SUBTLE ENOUGH, NOW GET BACK TO WORK AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO FOUL. YOU'LL BE DOING FIVE HUNDRED LAPS IF YOU DO!" He yelled up at the players before turning back to her. "Did Merlin himself send you?" Coach asked and Hermione chuckled.

"No, just two demonic red-headed twins," she answered.

They continued for a little while with Hermione telling Coach Burton the team's weaknesses and him writing them down eagerly, and discussing possible fixtures for said weaknesses.

"I'll be right back, keep an eye on them for me," he instructed. She nodded and Coach Burton left and walked up the stands and into the building.

Hermione leaned forward against the railing, watching the team train above her and she looked down at Quaffle and chuckled. He was laid on his back with his legs in the air and his head to the side with his tongue lolling out and he was snoring.

She heard footsteps echoing against the ground and she turned to see six women walking towards her in tight and revealing dresses, very tall heels that she didn't even know how they'd managed to walk in them, and enough makeup to put a clown to shame. She stood up straight and waited for them to approach her and she turned around when she heard a throat clearing.

"Charming," a blonde with blue eyes said sarcastically, looking down at Quaffle in disgust.

"He really his," Hermione smiled down at her puppy, ignoring her comment.

"You're Hermione Granger," she said as she looked her up and down appraisingly before she lifted her nose up in the air a little and Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes, I am, it's nice to meet you, and you are?" She held her hand out; the blonde looked down at it before she reluctantly shook it.

"I'm Melanie, I'm engaged to Ben Malloy," she spoke with a tone of superiority and when she pulled her hand away from Hermione's, she wiped her hand on her dress, much to her amusement. She had cooties now? That was a new one.

"And the rest of these ladies?" Hermione enquired politely, and introductions were given.

She learned that Megan was engaged to Bishop and she had black hair and brown eyes. Hannah was engaged to Wilks and she had black hair and green eyes. Laura was engaged to Pallie and she had blonde hair and brown eyes. Jenny was engaged to Thompson and she had blonde hair and blue eyes. And Victoria was engaged to Kings and she had red hair and brown eyes. They were all tanned and taller than she was thanks to the heels.

"And those women over there?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the family box where seven other women were sitting.

"They're the reserves' wives," Melanie said snootily.

One thing Hermione noticed was that they were all engaged to the members of the team that were all staring players. And she had the urge to point out they were married and the women in front of her were just engaged, so at least they'd been able to get their partners to follow through on the engagement.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked; she was obviously the leader of the group.

"I'm just visiting Oliver," Hermione answered.

"How do you know him? Did he hire you?"

"Did he hire me?" She frowned. "No, of course, he didn't, I'm sure Oliver has more respect for women and himself. I'm marrying him"

They all looked at her disbelievingly, their eyes once more looking her up and down, tracing her wild curls, Quidditch jersey and shorts.

"Why would he marry you?" Melanie laughed. "I mean, there's nothing particularly special about you, is there? You're not pretty, you're hair is ridiculous and you're fashion sense is well..." She trailed off, pointedly looking down at her clothing. Hermione bit her tongue, she didn't want to insult them and end up hexing them. The team likely wouldn't appreciate it.

"We were matched by the Ministry," Hermione explained.

"That explains it," she said nastily and the others laughed. "You're not exactly Quidditch wife material are you? Oliver can do so much better than you. You know he doesn't want you here, right? He's just being polite. You'll never be a Quidditch wife."

"That's your opinion," Hermione sighed, reaching up with her hand to push her hair out of her face and rubbing at her face in annoyance.

"What is that _thing_?" She asked rudely, looking down at Quaffle in disgust as he gave a particularly loud snore and Hermione let out a snort.

"Our puppy, Quaffle," she answered.

"It's hideous!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow; Quaffle was the cutest things she'd ever seen. Hell, he even made Oliver all soft and smiley and he had him wrapped around his paw.

Hermione had every intention of firing off a retort, only she didn't get a chance. She felt the change in her body, something wasn't right. She couldn't stop the coughing and wheezing, she couldn't help the way her breathing patterned changed as she struggled to breathe, she couldn't help that her throat was sore and scratchy and it felt like it was closing up.

The group of women all stepped back in horror as her face began to break out in purple blotches. Feeling her head going dizzy, her heart pounding in her chest and hearing her gasping breaths, Hermione reached out to steady herself on the railing but she failed, and she collapsed on the ground.

~000~000~000~

Oliver was up in the air on his broom as he kept an eye on the chasers whilst they practised their formations. For a small moment, he looked away from them and down to the ground, noticing that Hermione seemed to be surrounded by a group of women and he felt his mouth twitch into a smirk. Looking up, he saw his teammates flying over to him, likely having seen the same thing.

"I feel sorry for her, she's about to be thrown to the wolves," Thompson spoke.

"Aren't you going to go and rescue her?" Pallie asked confused.

Oliver shook his head. "Naw, she doesn't need me help. She took doon a homicidal maniac; she can handle a bit af bitchiness," he replied.

"Hey!" the team protested.

"Yer telling mae tha' ye don' think they're stuck-up, arrogant, obnoxious, spoilt witches?"

"I see your point," Wilks muttered.

"Our wives aren't as bad," Kelsy added.

"Naw they're not," Oliver admitted. "But they're still nasty an' stuck-up"

"So you're definitely not going down there to rescue her?" Kings asked, scratching the side of his head in confusion.

"Naw, Hermione can handle them, she might even knock them down a peg or twa. A've seen her do it befere."

"Wood? Something's happening down there," Wilks informed him, a frown on his face as he stared down at the people beneath them.

His attention snapped back to the group of women, he was too far up in the air to see what was happening exactly but he did hear Quaffle's barking and see someone seeming to hit the ground. Dread filling him, he flew down to the Coach's box and didn't even bother to slow down for the dismount as he jumped off his broom, it hitting the ground and he let it, forgotten as he ran to her, Quaffle stood beside her protectively as he growled and bared his teeth at the terrified looking women. Dropping down to his knees, Oliver reached for her and gently pulled Hermione into his arms, panic filling him when he saw her purple blotchy face which looked to be slowly swelling, and she sounded as though she couldn't breathe.

"Al...Al..." She tried to speak but she was ineffective. Oliver's head was spinning, trying to understand what she was trying to tell him. "Al...er..g..." She tried again.

"Allergic reaction?" He asked quickly and she blinked several times, letting him know he was right. He looked around for her bag and slipped it off her and noticing his teammates behind him, he threw it to Pallie who caught it as he was the closest.

"Open it an; say _Accio_ epipen," he ordered. Pallie pulled his wand and did as he asked, but nothing happened. "Where is it?" He asked, doing his absolute best to stay calm.

"Sh..sh...o..."

"Ye left it at the shop?" He asked and she blinked. Oliver felt his control slipping and panic started setting in, knowing that if she didn't get her medication she could die. "Someone go tae me locker an' get the epipen oot af it, it's stuck tae the door." He looked behind him but no one moved. "NOW!" He yelled and Thompson broke out of the daze and turned, darting up the stands and into the building.

Oliver moved until he was sat on the ground and pulled Hermione further into his chest, his hand coming up to brush her hair back from her face. No one noticed or paid attention to the seven women that had just arrived from the family box.

"Jus' relax, anno ye cannae breathe, but a need ye tae calm down, it'll only make yer breathing worse if ye panic," he coaxed softly and no one dared talk. "Thompson's gettin' yer medication an' ev'rything will be fine. Ye'll be fine, a promise. A won't let anythin' happen tae ye. A won't let ye die, ye cannae; think af all the people ye'll leave behind, the twins an' the Weasley's, Quaffle. Ye cannae leave mae alone with him; he'll run circles 'round mae withoot ye tae keep him in line. An' Tillie! She'll kill mae with all the rolled-up newspapers in the world 'coz a'll insult her cooking one tae many times. Please, Sparrow, jus' stop panicking an' get yer breathing under control as best ye can," he begged, he pleaded, his eyes tearing up with him being on the verge of crying whilst his teammates watched him, stunned.

"BISHOP!"

They looked up at the stands to see Thompson throwing the epipen down to them and Bishop caught it and ran to give it to Oliver, who took it in his hand and did his best to focus on remembering the instructions Hermione had given him.

 _'Remove the lid, press the tip against her thigh and then hold it for three... no five... no ten seconds...'_ his thoughts were jumbled.

He pulled the lid off with his teeth and lifted the jersey up to get better access to her thigh. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the tip of the epipen into her thigh and he pressed the button and held it for ten seconds and then he removed the epipen from her thigh and dropped it to the floor.

He immediately began to see a difference in Hermione; her breathing was slowing and she wasn't gasping for breath as much and he held her tightly to him and rocked her gently in his hold.

"Yer gunna be fine," he whispered to her, lowering his head to press a kiss to her forehead and sighing in relief.

He only just noticed that Quaffle was still barking and growling and looked at him, the large puppy being stood protectively on the other side of Hermione.

"Quaffle, what happened? What was it?" He asked, knowing the dog would understand him.

Quaffle stopped with his growls and bark and Oliver could visibly see him sniffing at the air. Knowing that Hermione had just had an allergic reaction, he understood that Quaffle was trying to tell him something, likely what had caused it.

"Nuts? Coconut?" He asked. Quaffle barked. "Coconut?" He repeated. He barked once more before his growls started, his head turning towards the gathered woman who were huddled together in fright.

"From now on all products containing both coconut an' nuts are banned in this stadium," he said, his voicing taking on a cold tone no one had heard from him before. They'd heard him yell and curse, but they'd never heard him take that tone with anyone, especially a woman. They didn't even think he was capable of it giving how respectful he'd always been.

"You don't have the authority to do that," Melanie spoke smugly, standing up taller despite the dog growling at her. Malloy felt like slapping himself in the forehead at the stupidity of his girlfriend.

"No? But I do," Coach Burton spoke and Melanie's expression faltered and she paled; Coach Burton was the one person you didn't want to mess with on the team. His word was law.

"What happened?" He asked Oliver, having returned during the chaos.

"She's allergic tae nuts an' coconut, Quaffle can smell coconut which means she's come intae contact with it somehoo an; she's had an allergic reaction, a _severe_ one," he explained before he looked down at Hermione. She was staring up at him with tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes and he lifted his hand and wiped them away tenderly. "Yer gunna be fine," he promised softly, keeping his gaze locked on her.

"All products containing nuts _and_ coconut are banned from this stadium," Coach Burton spoke clearly and in a tone that told not to argue with him.

"We should get ye tae the hospital," Oliver spoke, but Hermione shook her head.

"I'll be fine now, you gave me my medication in time, the blotches and swelling should already be disappearing and my breathing's almost back to normal," Hermione said quietly as her chest still heaved.

"Will someone get this hideous creature away from us?" Melanie shrieked.

"He can bite ye fer all a care," he said loudly whilst glaring at her. The women gasped and Quaffle took a threatening step forward and Hermione weakly hit Oliver's chest.

"No, he can't bite them. Quaffle, come here," she spoke softly, but Quaffle heard. With one last growl, he turned around and walked back to Hermione, laying down beside her and resting his head on her stomach as he let out a whimper. She lifted her hand and scratched behind his ears. "That's my puppy," she spoke and Oliver smiled at seeing her condition improving.

"Quaffle, who's fault was this?" Oliver asked. Quaffle lifted his head, looked directly at Melanie and then barked. "Her?" Oliver said, pointing her out and he barked again. "Yer the reason Hermione almost died. Quaffle can smell coconut on ye, why?"

"Coconut oil," she answered.

"Go an' wash it aff an' never enter this stadium wearing it again," Oliver ordered.

"But it makes my skin soft and shiny," she argued pathetically.

"Think again," Hermione said louder than the last time she spoke. "You look like a greased up baby with wrinkles."

Oliver laughed and they heard several members of the team sniggering.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Melanie shrieked in outrage.

"A'd be very careful if a were ye, yer on _very_ thin ice," Oliver warned with a narrowed gaze.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, looking ashamed and Oliver looked down at her confused.

"What fer?"

"For coming here today. I interrupted your training and you have a game in four days, you should be focusing on that and not having to look after me because I had an allergic reaction. If I'd have just stayed at the shop none of this would've happened. I'm sorry to be an inconvenience."

"For The Brightest Witch ye sure can be dense" he spoke softly. "Anna fer fact tha' if ye dinnae come here yerself, Fred an' George would've pushed ye head first through the floo. Yer not an inconvenience, what happened taday could happen in the future an' now anno what tae do if it happens again. As fer training, ye can come here an' interrupt whenever ye want. A don't care if it's ten minutes befere a match or if we're in a meeting with the bosses; ye can interrupt whenever ye want tae, as long as ye bring food 'coz the cafeteria food is disgusting an' the future cause af me death," he said and she chuckled, pulling a smile to his mouth.

"I'll never be a Quidditch wife. I'm not pretty enough, I'm not fashionable enough, apparently I dress like a prostitute, my hair's a giant puff-ball, I don't eat at fancy restaurant..."

"A'm stopping ye there," Oliver interrupted. "Who said tha' ye'd never be a Quidditch wife?" He frowned.

"No one has to say it," she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders.

"It was them, wasn't it?" He glared at the group of women and their partners all looked at them with strange looks on their faces. "They're jus' spiteful, rude an' jealous. Yer younger than they are, ye don' need tight clothing an' heavy makeup tae be beautiful, yer famous an' ye don' dress like a prostitute. Ye dress like a muggle; appropriately an' comfortably. Yer hair isnae a giant puff-ball, a like it bein' all messy an' untameable. An' ye don' eat at 'fancy restaurants' 'coz ye prefer tae yer own meals. Yer kind an' selfless, ye made lunch fer the entire team an' you didn't have tae do tha'; they would never even consider doin' tha' an' ye know more aboot Quidditch than a do. Anno tha' a can talk aboot Quidditch with ye an' ye won't get annoyed or bored, ye'll support mae. A bet they cannae even name the positions af each player withoot help. Yer the _perfect_ Quidditch wife," he assured her.

They were just staring into each other's eyes and the others felt awkward, like they were intruding on a private moment, but that moment was broken when Hermione winced in pain.

"What is it?" Oliver asked quickly.

"My stomach hurts, it's one of the symptoms, remember?"

"Am taking ye tae the hospital."

"No, you have training and..."

"Don' argue with mae, we're gunna go tae the hospital."

Hermione sighed in defeat. "I'll go to the hospital _if_ after we finishing decorating we can go to the lake at the manor."

"Deal," he chuckled.

"Wait a minute" Kings spoke, interrupting them. "Decorating? Do you two live together?" He asked in surprise and they nodded.

"She moved intae me apartment at the beginning af the week."

"Really?" Wilks said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively and Hermione frowned and fought down the blush that threatened to cover her cheeks.

"What about Quaffle? He can't come with us, the twins are busy at the shop and he won't stay here; he doesn't know anyone well enough yet."

"I'll watch over him until you can pick him up," Coach Burton offered.

At his words, Quaffle got up and walked over to him. Coach Burton stood still and allowed Quaffle to smell him and size him up and Quaffle sniffed his hand, licked it and then nudged his hand with his nose. Coach Burton lifted his hand and scratched Quaffle's head and he barked happily.

"Well, he seems tae like Coach," Oliver said amused and Hermione smiled.

"He trusts you," she informed him.

"Now, Quaffle, stay with Coach an' do ev'rything he says, do ye understand?" He asked and Quaffle barked in response.

"He's very intelligent," Coach Burton observed and Hermione smiled proudly.

"He's a muggle breed bred in the Wizarding World," she responded and he nodded in understanding.

Oliver stood up and took Hermione with him in his arms and she huffed in annoyance.

"I can walk," she scowled.

"Yer've jus' had a severe allergic reaction, am not risking it." She crossed her arms childishly and muttered under her breath. "A'll pick him up befere training ends,"

"Don't worry about it, just get her to the hospital," Coach said, and they said goodbyes and then Oliver left, carrying Hermione up the stands.

"He loves her," Thompson said and they all seemed to nod in agreement.

"Never thought I'd see the day Oliver Wood fell in love," Pallie spoke in disbelief.

"He was in a right foul mood this morning and as soon as she turns up, he hasn't stopped laughing and smiling. It's downright frightening," Wilks said.

Coach Burton snorted at them whilst Quaffle laid down at his feet and he kept his eyes on the women.

"She's going to be good for him, good for this team," Coach Burton spoke before he turned his attention to the crowd of women. "I have had enough of your behaviour. You do not get to treat people the way you do, you are here to support your _partners_ and not to walk around as if you own the place or you have a right to be here. I have had enough of you disrespecting and insulting members of staff simply because your _partners_ are on the team. What transpired here today is unacceptable and I will not stand for it. Around here my word is law, and as Captain, Oliver Wood is second in command and you disrespected not only him but his soon to be wife, who may be a future member of this team if I get my way."

The team raised curious eyebrows and looked to each other in intrigue at his words, wondering what he meant.

"I will give you one more chance and if you blow it you will be banned from the grounds and you will not be authorized to attend home matches." The women looked furious and Quaffle growled at them, a smirk pilling at Coach Burton's mouth. "As members of the public, you are not permitted to be in the Coach's box, return to the family box immediately. That goes for you lot as well," he said, looking at the reserves wives. "And do as the Captain said and wash off the coconut oil and do it before he returns."

~000~000~000~

"Oliver, I told you I was fine and I'm glad you let me go shopping," Hermione said amused as they walked down the stands to the Coach's box.

Hearing them approaching, Quaffle barked and ran to meet them and Hermione picked him up in her arms and he licked her face before he turned in her arms to lick Oliver's face, too.

"How are you?" Coach Burton asked Hermione as they approached him.

"I'm perfectly healthy; just have to get some rest."

"That's great news, you might as well head home, Wood, it's almost six anyway."

"Are ye sure?" He asked carefully. There was something different about Coach Burton, he was... Well, he was smiling.

"Yes, I want you here on time on Monday and bring Quaffle with you; he's a funny little guy," he instructed.

Oliver and Hermione shared an amused look. "Well if Quaffle wants to, he can come to work with Oliver instead of me." Quaffle barked at her words. "Quaffle's coming to work with Oliver," she said amused.

"Great, I can use him to keep the team in line," he said gleefully and they snorted at him. "Now remember to talk to Wood about that thing we discussed."

"I will," she promised and Oliver looked at her intrigued and she smirked at him, before they left to return home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 23

**Wood Apartment – Sunday 12th July 1998**

With her hair piled on top of her head in a mass of curls that was secured in place by her wand, sporting an overly large t-shirt, denim shorts and converse clad feet, Hermione found herself with a paintbrush in hand as she painted the left side wall of the living area a pale blue whilst Oliver filled up the paint tray and grabbed a roller, clad in a t-shirt, jeans and trainers, clothing he wouldn't mind getting dirty or ruined.

"Why're we doin' this the muggle way?" He questioned as she sat the paint tray on top of a stool Hermione'd transfigured from a kitchen chair.

"Because this is the _fun_ way," she replied. "There's no fun in magically charming the walls to be whichever colour you wish or magically applying the paint, and also, the charms soon wear off and have to be recast, this is longer lasting even if it takes a little more time and effort."

She placed her paintbrush down before quickly showing him how to evenly distribute the paint using the rolled and once she handed it back to him, she summoned her MP3 player and placed a Sonorous Charm around it so it could be better heard.

"Where's Quaffle?" She asked him whilst her attention was on searching through her playlist.

"Last a saw, he was on the balcony rollin' 'round an' eating somethin' tha' looked like a bunny," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What!" Hermione cried, dropping the MP3 player onto the stool and darting over to the balcony with Oliver following after her amused.

"Quaffle, bad puppy," she scolded, crossing through the door and reaching for the rabbit he held in his mouth. She tugged but he wouldn't let go. "Quaffle, let go!" She pulled once more but he didn't listen or loosen his grip. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Oliver leaning against the door frame, his amusement with the situation unmasked. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"What'd a get if a help?" He teased.

"How about I don't put a Laxative Potion in your lunch?" She scowled at him.

He chuckled as he pushed himself away from the door frame and approached them, Hermione stepping aside to give him more room and he reached for the rabbit, tugging on it.

"Quaffle, let go," Oliver said as he pulled the rabbit but Quaffle growled playfully. "Quaffle, am not playing, let go."

"You heard him, Quaffle, let go," Hermione said lightly.

Without warning, Quaffle released the rabbit and Oliver lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on his back on the grass as Hermione burst into laughter and Quaffle barked.

"Are you okay?" She asked through laughter.

"Did ye plan tha'?" He asked suspiciously.

"No, I swear I didn't. I didn't think he'd listen to me," she defended, offering her hand and helping him to stand before taking the rabbit from him. "Oh, Harold, look at you," Hermione sighed, seeing that one of his ears was hanging off and he was missing an eye that was on the floor and she picked it up.

"Wait, tha's Harold? Ye still have him?" Oliver arched an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, and I know for a fact that you still have that blanket so don't even go there with me."

"Hoo'd ye know?" He asked, looking a little embarrassed.

"You just told me," she smirked.

He grumbled beneath his breath, following her back into the apartment whilst Hermione cast a quick _Reparo_ , fixing Harold's eye and ear before sending it back to her room. Whilst Quaffle remained on the balcony, Oliver and Hermione returned to their tasks of painting.

"I don't even know how he found him, he was in my wardrobe," she sighed and he snorted at her. She picked up her MP3 player and pressed play, the Spice Girls playing through the speaker as Oliver looked to her, puzzled. "Muggle music, this is the Spice Girls, the ultimate girl band."

As she was painting Oliver kept stealing glances at her as she mumbled the words to the song and subtly danced, but when Hermione's words grew louder startled in surprise before laughing at her.

" _So here's a story from A to Z, you wanna get with me you gotta listen carefully. We got Em in the place who likes it in your face, we got G like MC who likes it on an Easy V doesn't come for free, she's a real lady, and as for me, ha you'll see. Slam your body down and wind it all around. Slam your body down and wind it all around and zigazig ah."_

Seeming to come back to herself, her dancing and singing trailed off and she blushed furiously as Oliver applauded in amusement, Hermione thanking him and bowing much like Fred and George.

"Yer right, this is a lot more fun than doin' it magically," he commented.

"And you doubted me," she snorted.

The song changed to Brittney Spears, _Hit Me Baby One More Time_ with Hermione singing and dancing along to the tune.

"This song?" He enquired after in intrigue.

"Brittney Spears, an up and coming muggle artist," she answered.

As they continued with their tasks, they hummed, danced and sang along to the music until they'd painted what they could reach, and at that, Hermione charmed the roller and paintbrush to finish the rest whilst she and Oliver made a start on the right side wall, just as the song changed to another.

"I _love_ this song" she exclaimed excitedly and he snorted at her in amusement. " _You are my fire, the one desire, believe when I say, I want it that way. But we are two worlds apart, can't reach to your heart, when you say, that I want it that way. Tell me why, ain't nothin' but a heartache, tell me why, ain't nothin' but a mistake. Tell me why, I never wanna hear you say, I want it that way."_

"Ye know, yer quite good," Oliver spoke thoughtfully.

"At painting? Well, I've had plenty of practice over the years. My mother had a habit of redecorating the kitchen and living room every couple of years."

He chuckled at her. "Naw, a mean yer quite good at singin," he complimented.

"I'm alright," she muttered embarrassedly.

Sometime during their tasks, a paint fight had broken out with blue paint splatters covering their clothing, hair, faces, hands and arms and Hermione's legs, too. When the charmed roller and paintbrush were completing the last of the wall, Hermione summoned the cushions they'd recently bought and she charmed them from white to pale blue before positioning them on the couch, corner suite and armchair, stepping back to admire her work. Once that had been done, she stepped into the kitchen to prepare a quick lunch and Oliver followed her.

"Do you have any spare jerseys, Puddlemere and Gryffindor?" She asked him as she busied herself with cleaning up the table.

"Why?" He cocked an eyebrow. Secretly, he hoping she wanted to know so she could wear them but he wasn't going to admit that to her.

"I want to know, answer the question," she rolled her eyes.

"Aye, a have a few," he nodded.

"Great, get them for them, one of each should do it."

He gave her an odd look but he did summon one of each from his bedroom, handing them to her once he'd caught them and she headed into the living room. When he walked in, it was to the sight of Hermione duplicating the jerseys and placing the copies into two large photo frames before they were levitated onto the walls, his Gryffindor jersey being placed in the centre of the left wall and his Puddlemere jersey in the centre of the right wall, held in place with Sticking Charm.

"That's why," she grinned as she sent the original jerseys back to his bedroom and he looked at her, both speechless and confused. "What? You should be proud of what you've achieved and it should be showcased. Now, where's the camera I gave you?" She asked, which is soon summoned and handed to her. She cast the spell to have all the photos developed into moving photographs and then she sat down on the couch, pulling Oliver to sit beside her.

"When did ye buy all af these?" He gestured to the large selection of photo frames covering the corner suite with a wave of his hand.

"When I asked you to get the paint. Anyway, we need to go through these and decide which ones you think should be framed," she said, showing him the stack of developed photos taken whilst they'd been at Flamingo Land. "I like this one," she mused, showing him the one they'd bought when they went on the Wild Mouse. Even though there was no sound or movement, Oliver's terror was evident as was Hermione's joy and laughter.

"Not a chance," he deadpanned.

"I like it," Hermione frowned.

"Well, then a like this one," he spoke, flipping through the collection and offering the photo he'd taken after he and Hermione had just raced down the slide and Hermione was doing a victory dance.

"Then I like this one," she argued, selecting the photo where he looked completely surprised as a seal lion kissed him on the cheek.

In the end, they put the majority of the photographs in photo frames -including the embarrassing ones- and they placed them around the room on the walls, making the apartment actually look lived in rather than it was an open tour for buying. They'd even placed some of the photos down in the corridors that led to the spare bedrooms and Hermione and Oliver's bedrooms.

"I think we're done for the day," Hermione announced as she looked around the room proudly. "What do you think?"

"A like it, it doesn't seem as bare," he mused.

"See, all you need is a tin of paint, a few photo frames and a few cushions to completely transform a room." She glanced down at herself, spying the blotches of blue paint. "I hope I can get this out," she sighed.

"Whose shirt is tha' anyway?" Oliver asked, seeing it was far too big to be her own.

"George's," she shrugged, missing the look of jealousy that crossed his face. "So, now that we're done, can we go to the lake?" She asked excitedly and he chuckled.

"Don' we have tae have dinner at the Burrow first?" He reminded her, chuckling when a frown of disappointment settled on her face.

"Dinner at the Burrow and then the lake?"

~000~000~000~

**Wood Manor**

Hermione and Oliver lay on a blanket side by side as they stared up at the sky, Quaffle being preoccupied with chasing birds through the grass and prancing through the lake bed.

"Are ye gunna tell mae what Coach was talking aboot yesterday?"

"Oh, that, it doesn't matter," Hermione dismissed.

"It seemed tae matter tae Coach," he pressed.

"It's not important,"

"Jus' tell mae," he rolled his eyes. "Don' make mae tickle ye," he threatened, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow until he was looking down at her.

"He was curious to know if I had a job as he'd like me to help him with the team, at which, I said I'll talk to you about it and see what I could do in regards to my hours at the shop. Last night, I came up with a design for some new practice robes for the team that would be more suitable for its purpose. The robes you have now are rubbish; they're made of a too heavy material, they aren't water-resistant and I suspect your gloves are worn down and losing their grip, which is highly dangerous. I sent the designs off to someone I know and they're going to have them made up and sent to me. If they prove to be successful, I'll see about designing some new game robes, too," she rambled nervously, her eyes avoiding him and missing the smile that graced his face.

"Hermione, calm doon," he chuckled and she looked at him, relieved to see that he wasn't angry.

"You're not mad?" She frowned in confusion.

"Why would a be mad?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I'm likely to be at the stadium more often and I'll be in your way, I don't want to but in on your job."

He shook his head amused. "Ye won't be in me way; ye'd be making the team better with tha' insanely clever brains af yers. Coach owled mae last night, he mentioned tha' ye'd identified nearly thirty weaknesses in the team an' tha' was befere training stopped 'coz af the war. It's likely worse now an' a suspect tha' ye know hoo tae fix them," he said and he chuckled when she nodded embarrassedly. "Ye won't be 'butting in' on me job as ye put it; ye'll be helping mae tae do me job by getting the team ready fer game season."

"It might not even happen, it's just a possibility," she muttered.

"Then why're ye worrying?" He asked amused.

"I don't know," she mumbled with a shrug of her shoulders. "Are those women at the stadium always so..." She paused for a moment, trying to find a suitable word. "Mean?" She settled on.

He snorted, plenty of other less friendly words coming to mind.

"Aye," he said without hesitation. "Particularly the girlfriends af the starting players. They look doon on the wives af the reserves 'coz they don't get as much playtime an' they get a lower wage, but aye, they're spiteful tae _everyone_. The wives aren't far behind them either; they're just as malicious when they wanna be."

Hermione sighed, a hand coming up to rub over her face tiredly before dropping back to her stomach. "I'm not going to fit in with them; I don't wear the clothes they do and I definitely don't wear those heels they had on; I fall over in bare feet," she grouched and he chuckled at her. "And you think a Balancing Charm would stop you from falling, it doesn't."

He snorted, giving his head a light shake. "As far as am concerned, yer exactly what a Quidditch wife should be. At least ye can tell the difference between a quaffle an' a bludger," he mused and laughed lightly. "At least ye know what position a play, most af those women cannae tell ye what position their partners play. So stop worrying."

She slowly nodded, nibbling at her lip thoughtfully. "I may have to change the way I dress."

He frowned. "Why?"

"They asked me if you'd _hired me_ ," she grimaced, shifting uncomfortably. "There must obviously be something wrong with the way I dress for them to come to that conclusion."

"There's nothing wrong with the way ye dress, tha' belt yer wearing is bigger than some af the dresses a've seen them wear, so they have naw room tae talk. Ye shouldn't care aboot what people think."

"I don't give a fever fudge about what people think of _me_ , I'm more worried about the impact it'll have on _you_. And, I can't be bothered with the bullying and petty comments. I suffered years of bullying for my appearance, my friendship groups, my blood status and my house affiliations. I fought in a war so that people could have their freedom but I didn't do it so people like those women could walk around and belittle everyone they come into contact with."

Oliver's mouth tugged into a smile. "When ye told Malloy's girlfriend tha' she looked like a greased up baby with wrinkles, well, it was _the_ best thing a've ev'r heard in me life," he chuckled. "The look on her face was priceless. You can handle the vultures," she said, pride evident in his voice and blushed under his praise.

Her eyes softened and her blush darkened as their gazes locked and Oliver's head slowly lowered until their lips met, Hermione's arms folding around his neck and her hands carding through his soft hair. Oliver's free hands moved to Hermione's waist, his fingers tracing patterns over the thin fabric of her paint-covered shirt. When Oliver's tongue darted out to swipe across her bottom lip, Hermione released a sigh before parting her mouth for him, her tongue greeting his.

With her hold on him, Hermione tugged Oliver closer to her and Oliver, thrilled with the development, shifted his body until he was kneeling above her, one of his knees resting in-between both of hers and his hands pressed flat against the ground on either side of her head. When Hermione released a soft moan and tugged at his hair, he replied with a groan, only to be surprised when she tugged him closer until his body pressed her into the ground and then she rolled them until she was straddling his lap.

Despite being surprised with the turn of events, he was pleased nonetheless and he allowed Hermione to take control as he trailed his hands up and down her sides, making sure to keep them above her clothing and he willed himself to stay in control; it wouldn't do good to scare her with the _wand_ in his trousers. Oliver pushed himself up into a seating position and wrapped his arms around Hermione, holding Hermione to him. He knew that he would never find anything better than the feeling of Hermione being pressed tightly against his body, well except for when...

They broke apart when Quaffle bounded over to them and shook himself, sending water flying over them and they laughed in disbelief. Oliver looked to Hermione and she'd never looked more beautiful; covered in paint, her lips puffy, her chest heaving and her cheeks filled with a pretty pink blush.

At that moment he knew, he wasn't falling for Hermione Granger, he'd already fallen for her, maybe even from the moment he'd set eyes on her for the first time in Fred and George's flat.

He loved her.

Coming to that conclusion, he knew it was best not to change his behaviour as he didn't want to tip her off to his true feelings. Not yet, he didn't want to scare her or make her feel as though she had to love him out of obligation or guilt. He wanted her to love him because she wanted to and she did.

As they gazed at one another before Hermione tipped her forehead to press against his, her eyes closed and a smile on her lips, they both missed the photographer flying off with a camera in hand and a smirk on his face.

~000~000~000~

 **Puddlemere United Stadium** **\- Monday 13th July 1998**

Oliver floo'd to the stadium with Quaffle obediently by his side and they quickly made their way down the corridor, through reception and down the stands to the Coach's box without interruption.

"Wood, glad to see you brought him with you," Coach Burton greeted, lowering his hand to scratch Quaffle's head.

"So, Wood," Bishop practically purred, his eyes alight with mischief and a smirk tugging at his mouth. "How is the lovely Hermione? Have you gotten _closer_ lately?"

"Do we need to hose you down every time you're in the same room together?" Pallie mused, the team sharing a laugh.

"Maybe we should keep them separate, this _is_ a public place, after all," Kings commented innocently.

"What the hell are ye idiots on aboot?" Oliver grumbled, his confusion clear for everyone to see.

It was at that point, the same thought flittered through their heads. _He hasn't seen the morning Daily Prophet._

"Now that everyone's _finally_ here, continue with the drills from Saturday," Coach ordered.

It was an hour and a half later and after countless innuendos and comments that Oliver didn't understand when they received an unexpected visitor.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Hermione entered the flat without Quaffle by her side and she made her way down the stairs, grabbing her robes from the hook and slipping them on over her clothes. That morning her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she wore a white long-sleeved t-shirt that was tucked into a mid-thigh length black pleated skirt and a pair of black suede wedges covered her feet. As she stepped out from behind the magenta velvet curtain and onto the shop floor, the twins were beside her instantly, mischievous smirks held on their faces.

"Hello there, Mia, you're looking lovely this morning. -" Fred started.

"- And how is your morning going?" George asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Fine, yours?" She replied, eyeing them strangely.

"Brilliant," they chorused.

"Where's Quaffle?" Fred asked.

"Coach Burton has formed an attachment to him, Oliver is taking him to training with him," she answered and they chuckled.

"Well, speaking of Oliver -"

"- How are things going with him?" Fred asked.

"Alright,"

"Just alright or more than alright?" George asked.

"Things are going well. Why?"

"No reason," they said innocently before leaving her side and ducking behind the curtain into the back room.

"She doesn't know?" Fred said quietly, taking care that Hermione didn't hear them.

"Obviously she hasn't seen the newspaper this morning," George muttered, knowing Hermione would either be mortified or furious and giving her completely calm and puzzled reaction, it was evident she had yet to see that morning's article.

They startled when they heard several bangs, crashes and a loud shriek and they were quick to return to the shop floor, stepping into a smoke-filled room with products in disarray on the floor and Hermione could be see sprawled on the ground and pinned beneath a broken shelf. Horrified, they darted forward, lifting the shelf off her and helping her to stand, not releasing her until they were sure she'd gotten her balance.

"Are you okay?" George asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she coughed, rubbing at her chest.

"What happened?" Fred questioned, his eyes darting between her and the mess.

"Some idiot's messed with the firework display, I went to right it before opening but they activated and..." She gestured about the room with an evidential wave of her hand. "Created this mess," she finished with a sigh. "Sorry boys, I should've been more careful. Just take any damages out of my wages.

"Don't be stupid, Mia," George scoffed.

"It wasn't your fault, the fireworks will only go off if they've been activated and since someone messed with the display, I'd say that's the case. We should've checked them after closing last night, it's our fault and we're not taking anything from your wages," Fred spoke with a nod of agreement from George.

"We're going to have to open up later than usual so we can get this mess cleaned up, even with the aid of magic it'll take a while," Hermione sighed.

Her day was off to a great start and it wasn't even nine o'clock in the morning yet. Surely things couldn't possibly get worse.

The shop was opened to allow Verity and Lee access and once the recent happenings had been explained, they each set to cleaning the shop, focusing on their designated tasks. Two and half hours later, they had the shop floor cleaned, repairs completed and the displays righted and the doors were finally opened half an hour before lunch, only for something they hadn't expected to occur.

Whilst the twins opened the shop and Lee and Verity got into place, Hermione made her way to the back of the shop to start working on products but she halted in her steps when she heard loud shouts.

"HOW DARE YOU MARRY OLIVER?"

"HE'S MINE!"

"HE'S GOING TO MARRY ME!"

"HE LOVES ME, NOT YOU!"

Before Hermione had the chance to turn around, pull her wand and defend herself, she was hit with several curses and hexes, the force of which sent her tumbling to the ground. A pained groan slipped from her lips and her eyes watered as she twisted to look over her shoulder, seeing a large group of witches, maybe fifty or so, all glaring at her and yelling. And each of them were clad in Oliver's jersey or a t-shirt that his name or face printed on it. His fans.

Fred, George, Lee and Verity all had their wands out and were trying to push everyone out of the shop but six witches broke through and Hermione was overcrowded, being punched, kicked and slapped before they were pulled away from her long enough to get Hermione free.

"LEE, GET HERMIONE OUT OF HERE!" Fred yelled, as Lee helped Hermione to her feet and guided her behind the magenta curtain.

"AND FLOO CALL THE AURORS WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!" George's voice carried as he cast a _Protego_ to shield against a hex sent Hermione's way.

Lee was quick but careful as he helped Hermione up the stairs into the twins' flat, leading her over to the fireplace.

"You should go to the stadium, you'll be safe there, they have better security and they'll have a healer."

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Hermione stepped out of the floo at the stadium and silently limped down the corridor and towards the door that led to the Coach's box, walking back a group of women, the reserves wives, as she did so but she ignored their presence and their words.

"Nice of you to introduce yourself to us on Saturday," one said sarcastically. "I'm Ashley. What are you doing here? How rude, well it is to be expected from her _kind_."

As Hermione made it halfway down the stands, Quaffle ran towards her, his loud barks attracting the attention of the players and Coach.

"Hey, Wood, I think it's Hermione!" Thompson called from the other side of the pitch.

"Get the hose!" Wilks shouted, laughter carrying through the wind.

But Oliver hadn't been paying attention to their words, his eyes narrowing and his stomach knotting anxiously as he stared down at the ground, seeing Coach Burton approaching Hermione quickly, too quickly for there not to be something wrong. He'd never seen him move so fast.

Oliver was quick to descend from the air, dismounting his broom before his feet had barely touched the ground and he had the breath knocked out of him when his eyes locked on Hermione. She was being helped down the stands by Coach Burton, it being obvious she was favouring one leg over the other, her frame was littered with bleeding cuts and boils, bruises could be seen beginning to form, her hair was messy and knotted and she had her arms wrapped around her stomach protectively as she hunched over on herself.

"Hermione!" He breathed out in horror, dropping his broom the ground and running over to her, falling to his knees before her as Coach Burton helped her to sit.

"What happened?" He asked her, her face in his hands. But she ignored him. "Sparrow, what happened?" He repeated, but she didn't answer him, she was looking straight at him but her eyes were unfocused, dazed. "Get the healer now!" Oliver ordered no one in particular, hearing footsteps against the stands. "She's not talkin' tae mae. Why isnae she talkin' tae mae?" Oliver questioned, feeling the panic rise within him.

"She's in shock; whatever happened caused her to go into shock."

Oliver darted a glance over his shoulder, surprised to see his teammates with matching looks of worry. _When did they get here?_

"Hoo do a break her oot af it?" He asked, once more looking at Hermione.

"Keep her warm and talk to her."

Without thought, Coach Burton removed his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders.

"Sparrow? Sparrow, talk tae mae," he muttered. When there was no response, verbal or otherwise, he leaned forward and whispered desperately into her ear. "Sparrow, come back tae mae. Please, a need ye," he begged.

He pulled back from her, his chest tightening painfully and his throat burning as he found it hard to breathe. He kept his eyes on her face, watching for any sign that she'd heard him and a few moments later, Hermione slowly blinked, once, twice, three times, her eyes coming back into focus and instantly locking gazes with him.

"Oliver?" She questioned quietly, sounding puzzled.

"Aye, it's mae," he said softly, his thumbs sweeping over her cheekbones. "What happened, Sparrow?"

Her eyes fell downcast and a frown pulled at her brow when she saw her injuries.

"Someone had messed with the fireworks display the day before. When I was righting it, they activated and destroyed half the shop floor. We opened later than usual, it took us a while to get the mess cleaned up and the shop back to rights. When the twins opened up to the public, I was on product duty so I had my back turned as I made my way to the workroom and before I knew it, there was yelling and hexes and cursing. The shop was crowded with witches, they had your name of faces on their clothing," she said, as if in a daze and Oliver felt his anger building as a less than pleased sound rumbled in the back of his throat, his protectiveness towards Hermione flaring up. "I didn't have time to defend myself, some of them broke through the twins' attempts to herd them out of the shop and they jumped me before Lee broke me free and took me to the floo. He told me to come here, he said I'd be safe here," she finished quietly.

"Yer safe here, a promise," Oliver said softly, his thumbs continuing with the comforting sweep over her cheekbones.

At that point, the healer arrived and approached with his wand in hand but he wasn't able to get any closer as Quaffle growled at him, stood beside him and before Hermione protectively.

"He's not gunna hurt her," Oliver told the overprotective dog, who soon calmed and allowed the healer to kneel down before Hermione and beside Oliver, watching him cautiously.

"I'm going to give you a pain potion," the healer informed her, his hand mid-way to digging into his robe pocket.

"NO!" Hermione and Oliver called simultaneously, their observers startling at the sudden exclamation as they watched them in surprise and intrigue.

"Sorry, but no, no pain potions," Hermione said quietly, calmly, the healer gracing her with a funny look but he otherwise nodded.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked as he began to heal the injuries on her face first, focusing on the boils before he moved onto the cuts.

"I was attacked; hexes, curses, punched, kicked and slapped," she said tiredly, not seeing Oliver's look of rage.

"I've healed the cuts and taken care of the boils, but the bruises I'll only be able to lessen the time it will take to heal them."

"Just leave them; Fred and George Weasley have a paste that'll take care of them."

He eyed her curiously but otherwise went about casting diagnostic charms, checking for internal injuries, anything he may have missed and searching for potential side effects of the curses, of which, he cast the Counter Charms for anyway as a precaution. When he was satisfied with Hermione's health, he took his leave.

With him gone, Hermione reached for her wand in her robe pocket and then muttered, " _Expecto Patronum._ "

A majestic blue-silver misty lion erupted from the tip of her wand, settling on the ground before her obediently. She heard gasps and murmurs of surprise and Oliver stared at the lion in awe, it wasn't the first time he had seen it, but still, it impressed him.

"Fred, George, when you have time will you send over some Bruise Removal Paste, please? I hope everything's been dealt with and that you're all alright," she spoke before sending the lion off with the message, releasing a tired sigh afterwards. "I don't understand why this happened. We haven't told anyone, the whole point was to keep us a secret for as long as possible"

There was a throat-clearing that drew her attention and she looked to the team expectantly when they shared a glance.

"You haven't seen this morning's _Prophet,_ have you?" Pallie questioned, both she and Oliver frowning and shaking their heads.

"We were running late," Hermione explained.

"I think I know why," Thompson spoke as he summoned that morning's newspaper from the locker room, catching it and holding it out to Hermione as he stepped closer, she and Oliver both peering down at it.

_Hermione Granger to wed Oliver Wood!_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Wedding bells are ringing as we at the Daily Prophet have recently discovered that Hermione Granger, 18, third member of the Golden Trio and employee at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Joke Shop, and Oliver Wood, 22, Quidditch Star and Puddlemere United Captain are set to wed._

_A source in the Ministry of Magic has confirmed that both Miss. Granger and Mr. Wood were matched after a series of complicated enchantments were carried out as required by the recent Marriage Law that has rocked Wizarding Britain. Their wedding details have been filed and we here at the Daily Prophet, have learned that they are set to marry Thursday 30th July. One can only assume how Mr. Wood is taking to have to marry and lose his title as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors, and for such a plain girl, too. We wonder what measures Mr. Wood will be undertaking in order to ensure his husbandly duties are completed as the Marriage Law requires a child to be sired within the time frame of one year, and it is clear to see that Miss. Granger is quite average in appearance, when there are certainly better-suited witches to match with the handsome Quidditch Star._

_But whatever he is using seems to be working and we only hope he can keep it up, physically and metaphorically. Better yet, that he finds his way out of the law and be re-matched with someone more suitable for being a Quidditch wife and marrying someone of his status._

_It is unknown what has happened with the disappearance of Harry Potter 'the boy who conquered', his best friend, Ronald Weasley, and his girlfriend, Ginevra Weasley, but I wouldn't be surprised if Miss. Granger had something to do with it. It has been speculated that Miss. Granger had once been in a relationship with Ronald Weasley, a relationship that turned sour, and hell hath no fury like a witch scorned. Miss. Granger's temper is famously known and has been the topic of conversation for a long time, so it would be no surprise should evidence arise that would suspect foul play. We just hope the same fate doesn't befall the handsome Oliver Wood._

Beneath the article sat a number of photographs, one taken of Hermione during the only appearance she made to the Ministry after the war, one of Oliver smiling whilst he was flying his broom and the final photo of Oliver and Hermione at the lake the previous night, with Hermione straddling him as they kissed.

"How did they even know we were there?" Hermione asked, sounding both confused and upset.

Oliver's fury wasn't well hidden. The entire article existed only to slander Hermione, make him out to be the victim and to place the blame of the outcome of the law and the trio's disappearance on her.

"Get them over here now," Oliver ordered in a cold, dangerous tone, rising to his feet slowly.

"Who?" Fox asked confused.

"Them," Oliver gestured to the family box with a tip of his head and a narrowed gaze, each member of the team sharing a worried glance before they traipsed off to retrieve their significant others. Oliver knelt down in front of her and reached out, taking her hands in his. "Look, Sparrow, anno they weren't very kind but ye cannae let them get tae ye," he said softly, expecting for her to be upset but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Her face was turning red and the air around them seemed to crackle.

"That bitch!" She growled. Oliver's eyes widened in surprise at the use of language.

Hermione sprang from her sitting position, Coach Burton's jacket falling off her shoulders and onto the floor and she paced back and forth, Oliver watching her carefully.

"What's happening?" Kings asked, approaching with the rest of the team and their witches.

"A think yer aboot tae Hermione Granger's temper, hell, am aboot tae witness her temper, an' it's been known tae make grown men cower in fear," Oliver answered, his eyes firmly on Hermione and not noticing Fred and George's appearance, and from Hermione's behaviour, they knew she'd seen the article.

"She can't be mad about the photos," Briggs commented.

"Did ye actually _read_ the article?"

"No," he frowned, reaching for it and many of them crowded around before it was passed around the group.

"Never mind," Kelsy muttered.

"How dare she?! How bloody dare she, Oliver?! What a bitch! I'm sick and tired of the old hag! I warned her that if she ever crossed me again, I'd make her pay! And what does she do?! She goes and fucking crosses me! She isn't going to know what's hit her! By the time I'm through with her, she won't even remember her own name!"

Oliver's jaw was slack in surprise, he and the others staring as big and bright golden sparks crackled in her hair, floating down to settle on the ground.

"How dare she intrude on our privacy?! Not to mention, trespassing! I'm going to find the name of the photographer and have him castrated!" She fumed, all of the males present wincing and shifting uncomfortably. "Didn't I tell you the Ministry was corrupt?! Someone accessed our confidential file and sold the information to Skeeter! _Skeeter_ of all people! And who the hell told where we were going to be?! No one knew! And to make me out to be the bad guy is the absolute fucking cherry on the cake! I'm not the one forcing people to marry! It's archaic and barbaric! After everything I've done, if she thinks that she's safe, she couldn't be any farther from the truth!"

She halted in her pacing, her hands balled into fists, her breathing heavy and her face flushed red as her hair ceased in its sparking.

"It's coming," George said to Fred, everyone seeming to startle at the sound of his voice in the otherwise silence.

"When did ye get here?" Oliver asked bemused.

"Just before that started," he tipped his head towards Hermione.

"What's coming?"

"The rants over, her hair isn't sparking anymore and she's quiet, too quiet, it's about to happen," Fred answered before he and George crossed over to Hermione, tugging her shaking form against hem and hugging her tightly as her hands bunched into their robes and she burst into tears.

Oliver was surprised, to say the least, but he knew the twins knew what Hermione needed better than he did at that point, but in time, he would learn to understand what Hermione needed. Happy she was being well cared for, he turned his back to them, facing his teammates and their partners, his eyes narrowing and his body stiffening as he felt his anger make a reappearance.

"Someone told the _Prophet_ aboot mine an' Hermione's wedding. As a result, she was attacked by a large group af me fan girls at her place of work an' she was injured," Oliver said, his cold eyes menacing. "A wanna know who it is an' a wanna know now."

His eyes automatically settled on the group of woman, already knowing his teammates wouldn't breach his or Hermione's privacy in that way, it was the number one rule within the team. Never speak to the press about the private life of another teammate.

As his eyes narrowed suspiciously and carefully scanned the faces and body language of each of the woman before him, his gaze halted on one witch in particular, instant dislike welling within him and a sense of knowing it _was_ her.

"Ye, it was ye," he scowled knowingly. "Ye told me personal information tae the press. Yer banned from the premises, from all home games an' yer tae never again come intae contact with mae Hermione."

"You can't do that!" Melanie shrieked angrily whilst Malloy looked very much like he wanted to throw up and bury his head in a deep hole in the ground.

"Yes, he can" Coach Burton interrupted with Quaffle stood by his side, growling and baring his teeth. "You're to do everything he says and the big bosses won't be happy to hear you've been giving out the whereabouts of our players to the press and I now know it was you who was leaking our plays to opposing teams."

Oliver's eyes darted down to Quaffle when he saw the dog visibly sniffing at the air before seeming to recoil, something Oliver had seen the dog do when he didn't like the smell of something. His eyes narrowed, being reminded of the incident that had taken place but a couple of days prior.

"Are ye wearing coconut oil?" He asked, his tone cold and dangerous as Quaffle released a bark of confirmation.

Melanie opened her mouth to reply but never had the chance as she was unexpectedly hit by a spell that whizzed over Oliver's shoulder, the witch releasing a loud scream as she stumbled about in her heels whilst being attacked by flying snot-bats. Oliver peered over his shoulder to see Hermione slipping her wand back into her robe pockets before she silently wiped her face free of her tears.

Oliver's mouth tugged into an amused smile. "A think tha's me new favourite spell," Oliver commented lightly, Hermione giving him a watery laugh as the twins beamed with pride.

From the corner of her eye, Hermione noticed Hannah -who was engaged to Wilks- pulling her wand from her bag and she quickly intervened.

" _Avis, Oppungo,_ " she muttered, a flock of bright yellow canaries erupting from her wand and circling Hannah as the witch screamed and cried hysterically. " _Expelliarmus,_ " she disarmed Victoria -who was engaged to Kings- before narrowing her eyes. "I think you're forgetting who you're dealing with. Unlike you, I fought in the war on the front lines rather than hiding behind daddy's wards. Does anyone else want to test my patience?" Her voice was cold, void of any emotion and when no one spoke up or stepped forward, she dropped the wands to the ground.

Oliver took a step forward only for Hermione to see before she quickly approached him, all but throwing herself at him and he hugged her against him tightly.

"Ye alright?" Oliver muttered softly.

"Better now that I've hexed those bloody idiots," she replied and he chuckled.

"Why were ye crying?"

"I was angry. When I'm quiet, I usually cry in fury and then I hex someone, or hex someone and then I cry," she answered before pulling back from him and turning to look at the twins. "Did you bring the paste?" She asked, the three of them moving over to the stands after they'd nodded in response, lathering the green gooey paste on her bruises. "Can you turn around, please? I don't want you to see my scars," she said to Oliver quietly, shyly.

"Am gunna see them at some point," Oliver shrugged.

"No, I may have told you what happened but it's a different thing entirely to see the evidence. I'm not ready for you to see."

"A don' see why it matters," he frowned.

"Oliver, you've gained my trust and trust me when I say, it's an easier feat to break into Gringotts. Don't break it."

"Oliver, mate, don't push it, yeah?" George intervened.

Oliver reluctantly nodded before he turned and headed for the Coach and his teammates, all of them watching Melanie and Hannah with sniggers.

"Remind me to never get on her bad side," Thompson commented.

"Am the one living with her, a have tae check ev'ry room in me apartment in case she's hidden a joke product somewhere," he replied and they snorted at him, only for Oliver to laugh when Quaffle decided it would be more fun to chase the two screaming women rather than watch.

"Quaffle, don't bite them," Hermione scolded as she _finally_ countered the spells as she approached them.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Hermione sighed, rubbing a hand over her face tiredly.

"Aboot?"

"My job, I can't go back to the shop; everyone knows where I work now and the twins won't be able to keep the fans out without keeping out their customers, too. I can't let them lose business because of me, but they need my help with the stock and inventory. And what about Leo, I can't abandon him? If I leave, what am I going to do? I have to be productive, I can't just sit on my arse all day and do nothing; it'll bore me to death. And I'm not ready to leave the twins, I only moved out last week and now I have to quit my job, too? I _love_ my job."

"Mia, we know you don't want to leave and we don't want you to either, but you have to for your safety. They know where you work and we can't put up security wards to protect you. It isn't safe for you anymore," Fred said, his sadness not masked in his voice.

"I can't do it, I only moved out a week ago, I can't leave the shop. I'm not ready."

"You weren't ready to move in with Oliver but you did and look at how well things are going. You may not be ready to leave your job but you have to. At least you can get a head start on studying for your NEWT's," George spoke, equally as sad as his twin.

"I don't care about my NEWT's," she muttered. They raised identical eyebrows of disbelief at her words. "I _don't_ care, I'm only doing them as it's expected of me. I'm not applying for a job at the Ministry, I'm actually thinking about writing a book."

"You are? What about?" the twins asked.

"The war, I think it may help me come to terms with my past and allow me to move onto a better future," she answered and they smiled at her.

"Well, you can work on your book," Fred corrected. "But you _have_ to leave; your safety's been called into question"

"What're you going to do about staff?"

"We can manage," he shrugged, giving her a lop-sided smile. "And thanks to you, we're three months ahead with the stock and thanks to those nifty changes you made to our recipes, we can make twice as many products in one session. You don't have to worry about us," George promised.

"Yeah, it's not as if we've blown up the shop or anything," Fred snorted.

"May I remind you that I left early on Saturday and because you didn't check the shelves, the firework display activated?"

"I'll admit, we could be a bit more observant," Fred conceded and Hermione scoffed. "Fine, we'll pay more attention," he chuckled. "But, Mia, this is the best thing for you, this job was always supposed to be temporary."

"So, I'm leaving?"

"You're leaving," the twins chorused in agreement, gently tugging her towards them and hugging her when they saw tears filling her eyes.

"Hermione?" A familiar voice caught her attention.

Stepping back from the twins, Hermione glanced up in surprise at their unexpected approaching visitor, the people around her all but gawking in surprise and Fred and George offered a smile and wave.

"Minister Shacklebolt," she greeted.

"I think we're way past the formal greetings," he chuckled.

"Sorry, force of habit," she replied. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but _what_ are you doing _here_ of all places?"

"I'm here as I've been informed by Auror Reddings, that you've had a spot of trouble this morning, and it is not even lunchtime yet."

Hermione's cheeks tinted pink at the knowing smirk that twitched at his mouth before he contained it.

She cleared her throat before saying, "I was attacked at the shop by Oliver's fans; they found out I'm marrying him." Her embarrassment took a back seat as she glared at him angrily and the Minister visibly took a step back.

The Minister had witnessed her temper at more than one Order meeting in the past and he knew to be as far away from her as possible when she was angry.

"I know the situation is less than ideal but you have to understand there has been a rapid and dramatic decline in the Wizarding population."

"Of course, I understand the severity of such an occasion, but really, a Marriage Law? What in the name of Merlin were you thinking? How much fire whiskey had you consumed when you thought up this _brilliant_ solution? And in which case, why have some people been exempt from the law and others have not? Why has the choice to decide on our own partner been removed? And why haven't I been exempt from the law? After everything I have been put through, everything I have suffered and faced for the Wizarding World, do you not think I have earned the right to make my own decisions, to be left alone in peace? Did you know I'm still being harassed through mail by some of your Ministry departments?"

He frowned, giving his head a light shake. "We have chosen matches and taken away your choice so blood supremacy can be combated and eliminated. And I was not aware that you are still receiving mail but I will ensure it is stopped."

"You had complex charms and enchantments cast to find the matches, you couldn't control the outcome. I could've been matched to a former Death Eater. Why didn't you offer couples incentives, rewards for every child born to promote pregnancies? Why didn't you propose a law forbidding Purebloods from marrying one another? This law is barbaric and archaic and completely out of line. You've included me because you want me to be your poster child. You want to put mine and Oliver's marriage on a pedestal and parade us in front of Wizarding Britain. You've no idea how our marriage will turn out, for all you know, I might Bat-Bogey him to death. And giving people the option of marriage, life in Azkaban or being exiled from the Wizarding World is complete bullshit!" She fumed, ignoring the surprised gasps coming from behind her, not only at her language, but at the way she was speaking to the Minister of Magic. "I know there's nothing I can do to be excused from this law, and I'll comply with the rules to the best of my ability, but you have another thing coming if you think for even a second I will let you exploit either Oliver or myself."

Kingsley lowered his head, no longer being able to look at her red, angry and hurt expression whilst Oliver looked on in something similar to awe at her public dressing down of the Minister of Magic.

She took a deep breath, calming herself down and then she said, "I've some information regarding Rita Skeeter that you may find of interest."

The Minister lifted his head and cocked an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"Oh, I'm not going to tell you yet, I want to have some fun with her first, completely legal of course," she added. "It most certainly wouldn't do to have Hermione Granger breaking the law," she smiled sweetly. "Well, publically at least."

"Well, if it's legal and not public," he chuckled and everyone's mouth hung open in shock. Did he just condone Hermione Granger's revenge on Skeeter? "I would like to know if you wish to press charges."

"No,"

"What?" Oliver blurted out, looking furious.

"No," she repeated.

"Sparrow, they hurt you. They attacked you. They hexed you when your back was turned!"

"Doesn't matter, I'm not pressing charges, it's too much hassle and there were too many of them to even identify," she said to him before turning her eyes back to Kingsley. "But maybe you should post Aurors outside the shop, fans are likely to turn up looking for me," she suggested and nodded in agreement. "One more thing, can we change the date of my NEWT examinations?"

"I don't see why not, when did you have in mind?"

"September," she answered.

"I'll have the records refilled for you," he nodded.

"Thank you, Minister, have you seen the newspaper this morning?"

He nodded. "I don't know how she does it," he commented.

"I do, but I'll tell you another time. However, you should start filing charges against her for when I hand her in. Build a case, you can add to the list trespassing and stalking. And I think you should be aware that Oliver and I didn't give out the date of our wedding, the invitations only went out this morning. Someone in the Ministry accessed our confidential file and sold the information to Skeeter."

"I'll have an investigation opened to monitor the Family Affairs Department as soon as I return," he promised, and with that, he said his goodbyes and took his leave.

"We better get going as well, see if Lee and Verity have finished with the cleaning up of the shop," Fred said.

"Now, don't come into work tomorrow," George warned.

"But it's Tuesday. Thieving Terrence and Confused Courtney are in," she frowned and they chuckled at her disappointed look, Oliver shaking his head at her amusedly.

"We can handle them, besides, now you won't be getting hit on by handsy twelve-year-olds," Fred teased.

"Or toothless seven-year-olds, shameless ten-year-olds and my personal favourite, the arse pinching fourteen-year-olds," George grinned, he and Fred bursting into laughter, Hermione grumbling beneath her breath and Oliver was torn between amusement and jealously.

"What about Leo?" She questioned, their laughter dying off at the mention of the young wizard.

"Ah, that could be a problem," George nodded.

"Well, we can speak to his mother and let her know that you won't be working at the shop anymore and when you get another job, we can pass on the details for you. Besides, didn't his mother give you permission to bring him to the match on Wednesday?" Fred asked.

"Yes, he's got his ticket and he owled me this morning, he's already bought himself a new jersey and scarf," she smiled fondly.

"See, we'll work something out. Right, we really better get back to the shop, we'll try and make it over for dinner tonight," George informed her and the twins kissed her forehead, said goodbye to everyone and then left. Hermione sighed and then turned around to face everyone; she'd forgotten they were still there.

"What?" She asked confused as they all stared at her with odd looks on their faces.

"Nothing," Oliver said quickly, too quickly to be believable and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"LUNCH!" Coach Burton called unexpectedly, the team sighing in relief and the women quickly leaving the Coach's box to go Merlin knows where. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Hermione?" he asked and she nodded.

"Just give me a second," she replied, reaching into her robe pocket, pulling out her beaded bag and then she removed a brown paper bag from inside before handing it to Oliver. "I made it this morning, I was going to send it over but now I don't need to. Share it out amongst yourselves."

"What is it?"

"Tuna and pasta, bananas and an apple for you," she started, a smile tugging at his face that she'd changed it slightly for his preferences. "Pumpkin juice and some cookies that I baked this morning, I put a Stasis Charm on them so they should still be warm."

When the team either sighed or groaned in appreciation, Hermione followed Coach Burton through the building until they reached his office. It held several filing cabinets and shelves filled with knick-knacks, a dark wooden desk and two matching chairs and large floor to ceiling windows, a storage cupboard and a second door which she didn't know what was hidden behind it.

Hermione took a seat when he gestured to it with a tip of his head, and she cleared her throat after he'd taken his own seat.

"So, what did you wish to talk to me about Coach?" She asked, feeling a little nervous at the way he was watching her.

"Did you talk to Wood?"

"Yes, he was surprisingly supportive of me possibly being around the stadium a little more, if I could work my hours out at work, that is."

"Well, you no longer have a job," he pointed out and Hermione frowned at the reminder that she was now unemployed. "I asked you for help with the team but now that you no longer have a job, your day is pretty much freed up. Wood's here and he's going to be bringing Quaffle to work with him."

"You're not getting my puppy," she interrupted and he chuckled at her.

"I know, but my point is they'll be here. I want to offer you a job as my Junior Coach. We'll see how you manage the position but I'm positive you'll be promoted to Assistant Coach in the future, maybe even take over my job when I retire."

Hermione stared at him in surprise; never in a million years did she think she'd be offered a job as a Quidditch Coach.

"I can't," she blurted out.

"Why not? As you said, you need something to do to keep you from getting bored. You'll be working fewer hours than what you previously worked and you know more about the team's statistics than I do. Hell, you knew that Bishop tends to fly slightly to the left, I've never noticed that before and neither has anyone else. You're arranging for new practice robes and equipment for the team, _and_ , they like you. Likely because you feed them," he chuckled. "So, talk to Wood about it the offer and if you want the job, you start Thursday."

"But..."

"No, I'm not listening," he interrupted her rebuttal. "Now, let's see if those fat prats saved us any lunch."

Coach Burton stood from his chair and left his office, Hermione remained in her seat, stunned at the turn of events before she broke from her stupor and followed him back to the Coach's box.

"A saved ye some lunch," Oliver greeted with a smile, handing her a plate of tuna and pasta as she stopped next to him.

"Thank you," she replied, accepting it and still feeling a little dazed.

"What did Coach want?" Oliver asked, leading her to the stands to take a seat beside her.

"He...Well... He offered me a job," she admitted, feeling both nervous and surprised it had actually happened.

Oliver's eyebrows shot up high on his forehead. "He did? What fer?"

"Junior Coach,"

Oliver released a slow whistle of appreciation. "He mus' have faith in ye then, in all the years he's been Coach here, he hasnae once taken on a Junior or Assistant Coach. It was the same fer the Montrose Magpies, he coached them fer a few years befere he was poached by Puddlemere," Oliver explained. "He's been coaching thirteen years now but am sure ye knew tha' already," he finished, amused.

"He thinks I'd be good at it, he mentioned a possible promotion to Assistant Coach and maybe becoming Head Coach when he retires."

"He actually said _those_ words?" He questioned in surprise.

"He did," she nodded.

He whistled again. "Ye gunna take the job offer?" He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. He didn't want to seem too happy or upset, not wanting to influence her decision.

"I don't know," she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "As I've said before, I don't want to intrude on your job and I don't want things between us to get weird or uncomfortable."

"Why would tha' happen?"

"Not only will we be living together, we'll be working together, too. We won't get any space for ourselves and I don't want us to end up hating each other because we're around each other so often. And if I do take the job, technically, I'll be your boss."

He shrugged his shoulders. "There's advantages tae having ye as me boss," he grinned as she gave him a look of confusion. "A think this might be good fer us. By spending more time tagether, we'll be comfortable 'round each other an' having ye 'round here will keep the team inline, particularly with tha' Bat-Bogey Hex af yers. An' a don' doubt the twins will give ye some products tae hide in their lockers if they get tae oot af hand or annoy you," he grinned and she snorted at him. "Ye know what, take the job offer, _definitely_ take it," he nodded pleased with his words. _So much for not influencing her decision_ , he thought.

"I don't think I can," she sighed and he rolled his eyes.

"Aye, ye can, stop worrying." He looked over towards Coach Burton as he quietly ate his lunch, doing his best to ignore Oliver's chattering teammates. "Coach!" He called. "She said yes!"

"No, I didn't!" Hermione called after him.

"Brilliant!" Coach Burton yelled back, completely ignoring Hermione's words.

"I didn't say yes! And you're not getting my puppy!" She shouted, noticing Quaffle sat by Coach Burton's side obediently and Oliver snorted at her.

"Thursday!" He yelled back, ignoring her previous comment once again. Hermione grumbled beneath her breath in annoyance.

"Ye mus' be the only person anno who can quit a job an' get another one in the space af an hour. But at least ye'll be at ev'ry game now, ye don' need tickets an' since yer part af the team, ye get tickets tae give tae yer friends an' family, where they'll sit in the family box. Am sure the twins will like tha', but ye'll be in the Coach's box."

"What about Leo?" She asked, he frowned in confusion. "Don't tell me you've forgotten." He raised an eyebrow. "Leo, I'm bringing him to the match with me on Wednesday to meet you and the team."

"Oh, that, a remember," he nodded. "But what's the problem?"

"If I have to sit in the Coach's box, what's going to happen to him?"

"Aren't his parents comin' with him?"

"No, his dad died during the war and his mum doesn't really care for him, she's distant and withdrawn. He told me that when he's at home, he either sits in his room or plays in the garden. That's why when they visit Diagon Alley he comes to see me and his mum does whatever she wants to. She gives him permission to stay with me all the time, she hasn't even _met_ me and she's letting me take him to a Quidditch match, but when Leo told her my name, she seemed fine with the idea of me looking after him."

Oliver frowned. A woman letting a stranger she'd never officially met look after her child? _What was wrong with the witch?_

"Well, a imagine tha's 'coz she knows ye'll protect him an' keep him safe, an' as fer the match, am sure Coach will let ye bring him in the Coach's box with ye, jus' ask him," he shrugged. "Now, what are ye gunna do tamorrow?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I might make a start on studying for my NEWTs since I have less than two months until I sit them."

"Ye'll do fine," Oliver replied knowingly, not a doubt in his mind she wouldn't achieve the best grades possible, with or without studying.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 22

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Summary: The battle is over and a marriage law has been put into effect due to the rapidly declining wizarding population. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. Join Hermione as she has to deal with her past, whilst looking forward to the future, with the help of The Weasley Twins and rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood.

Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events are my own ideas. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic.

Page count: 22

**Wood Apartment - Tuesday 14th July 1998**

When Oliver stepped into the kitchen, it was to the sight of breakfast on the table and Hermione stood by the oven. That day she had wild hair free and cascading down her back, she wore blue converse on her feet with a cropped denim jacket, blue skinny jeans rolled up to the ankles showing the heart pendant on her anklet, and a white spaghetti strapped top.

Oliver was _really_ appreciating the muggle clothing Hermione seemed to favour, and he had a newfound respect for muggles; they sure knew how to make clothing to show off a women's attributes without being trashy. His eyes lingered on her arse as he made his way to the kitchen table, stumbling a little as he knocked into a chair. Hermione turned to him when she heard a chair scrape against the floor and she smiled whilst his head quickly looked away, almost being caught staring at her.

"Morning, Oliver," she smiled.

"Morning, Sparrow," he greeted gleefully as she placed a cup of tea and a glass of orange juice in front of him before heading back to the oven.

"Quaffle outside?" He asked as he picked up his fork and began eating his breakfast of hash browns, potato waffles and sausages.

"Last time I checked," she nodded. "He seems to _really_ like the balcony."

"What're ye doin'?"

"Making lunch," she shrugged.

"Ye know ye don' have tae do tha', right? Am perfectly fine eating in the cafeteria, as is the team."

Hermione turned to face him, a gasp of mock-horror leaving her as she pressed her hand over her heart. "And have that food be the cause of your death. I would never subject you to such torture. It just won't do to have people think that I want you dead, the press alone..." He chuckled at her and she turned back to the oven. "All joking aside, I don't mind cooking for you and the team, I was already making breakfast and I like cooking, it's calming."

"Alright, what're ye makin' taday?"

"White rice and chicken curry sauce with homemade bread"

"Yer a gift from Merlin himself," he muttered. "What do ye have planned taday? Yer've the day aff."

"Since Quaffle's going to the stadium with you, I floo called Mrs. Weasley this morning and she owled your mother, and floo'd Fleur. I know we're cutting it a little close but we've decided to head into Muggle London and do a bit of dress shopping. They're a little sceptical that a muggle dress will be formal enough for a wedding but when they see where I'm taking them..." She trailed, letting her unsaid words speak for themselves. "I'll _never_ be able to get them to leave," she said as she approached the table and took a seat. "And, being in Muggle London means I won't be ambushed by the press or your fans."

A frown pulled at Oliver's face and he set his knife and fork down as he looked to her. "Am sorry tha' ye got hurt," he said sincerely and he reached out, taking Hermione's hand in his, half expecting her to retract it. He wouldn't blame her if she did.

"It's not your fault. I should've been more vigilant. I could've fought back but I didn't, I went into shock," she scowled, clearly upset with herself. "When I was a hit by the spells I had flashbacks to the Final Battle, it was my own fault and no one else's." She squeezed his hand. "But don't worry; Skeeter isn't going to know what's hit her. I've already set my plan in motion," she grinned evilly. Admittedly, he was a little worried for Skeeter even if she did deserve it.

The oven timer signalled and Hermione stood from the table and moved over to the oven and removed the bread from it as Oliver happily took in the smell. He had to admit he loved that the apartment always seemed to smell of freshly baked goods and food cooking. It was domestic, homey and oddly calming.

"Do you have any specific drills you're doing today?" She asked as she absentmindedly placed a Cooling Charm over the bread before cutting it into slices.

"A don' think so," he shook his head.

"Well, you should get Malloy to work on his turns; he's kind of sloppy and needs to be sharper. Pallie needs to work on breaking that habit of favouring the left hoop and Bishop should work on his movements, he's slow when flying in-between other players and delving and dodging. Thompson should work on his reflexes, he's rubbish at avoiding bludgers and Kings should work on his aim, whilst Wilks should work on his backhander. The reserves can continue with their drills until I officially start work as see what issues I'm dealing with."

When Oliver didn't respond, she peered over her shoulder, a blush settling over her cheeks at the smile he sent her way.

"Ye havnae officially started as Junior Coach yet an' yer already tellin' mae hoo the players need tae improve by tomorrow," he beamed both in pride and a little surprised. "But ye missed someone," he pointed out.

"I did?" She frowned in confusion, her mind whizzing through the team.

"Hmm, what do a need taw do taw improve by tamorrow?

"Well..." He hesitated, looking nervous.

"Come on, Sparrow, don' hold back. There must be somethin' tha' a can improve on," he encouraged.

She sighed and nibbled at the corner of her lip, Oliver's eyes trained on her mouth and watching enraptured, Hermione being completely unaware of how she was affecting him.

"I think you could be more aware of your surroundings. I noticed it in Hogwarts as well. When you're in the air, you seem to be oblivious to everything around you because you're focusing on the game and who has the quaffle," she started and he nodded, encouraging her to continue. "For that reason, you're open to bludger attacks, like when you were hit by a bludger courtesy of Marcus Flint. You have to learn to focus whilst still being aware of your surroundings."

Oliver smiled and stood from the table, crossing over to stand before her as she tipped her head back to keep eye contact with him.

"Are ye worried aboot mae?" He teased.

"Yes," she admitted without hesitation, surprising him a little with the confession. "Quidditch may be your passion and you may be brilliant at it, but that doesn't mean that it isn't dangerous, because it is. And no matter how many safety precautions are put in place, it will _always_ be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

H could see the worry flash through her eyes and his heart seemed to skip a beat at her declaration. Silently, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his t-shirt over his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him as he smiled. She breathed in his scent; broom polish, mint and something that reminded her of the outdoors, maybe pine and the smell of cold air. She'd come to love his smell, it was comforting and familiar.

Ever since she'd told Oliver about her past a week ago, the twins hadn't been called upon to help calm Hermione from her nightmares, rather Oliver headed straight to her room, and as soon as he climbed under the covers she would settle. When she woke, they'd talk until she fell back asleep, he would help Quaffle onto the bed and head back to his own room, no matter how much he wanted to stay and watch over her, he didn't want to any boundaries.

"Have you got your robes for the wedding?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"Not yet, a think am gunna go with me da an' the team on Thursday after training," he replied and she nodded. "Wizarding robes or a muggle suit? What colour am a gettin'?"

"Whatever you prefer and feel comfortable wearing, I don't mind and I don't mind on colour either, but the colours of the wedding are white and blue, so maybe something along those lines," she suggested. "Who's your best man?" She asked curiously, wondering who Oliver thought of as a best friend.

"As much as he annoys mae, it's Pallie. He's a good friend when he's not pissing aboot," he said and Hermione snorted.

"Did you invite the entire team? Coach as well?" She questioned. He nodded. "Are they bringing their wives and girlfriends?"

"A'd imagine so," he grumbled, none too pleased about the fact. "But, if they so much as look at ye the wrong way, a'll have them removed an' banned from the stadium, it's a win-win."

She chuckled. "Is that before or after I hex them and Fred and George use them as target practice?"

Oliver snorted. "After, of course; a wouldn't wanna miss any af tha'. a'll make sure tae have a camera on mae." An uncontrollable giggle fell from her lips and he smiled at the light and pure sound. "Speaking of Fred and George, have you asked them to walk you down the aisle yet?"

"Oh, Merlin's balls," she sighed, Oliver chuckling as he pulled back to see her annoyed expression. "I knew I'd forgotten something," she grumbled. "I'll ask them tonight, they owled this morning; they're coming for dinner since they couldn't make it last night with everything that happened at the shop."

He reached over to push some of her hair behind her ear tenderly and out of her face, staring down at her with those large brown, puppy dog eyes and Hermione blushed under his gaze. Oliver lifted his other hand and softly traced the blush on her right cheek with his finger, the corner of his mouth twitching. He lowered his head, pressing his lips against hers as she folded her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes so he didn't have to crane his neck down. One of his hands found its way into Hermione's soft ringlets and the other fell to her waist, snaking around her back and pulling her closer against him.

He backed her up until her back hit the marble counter and he traced her bottom lip with his tongue, Hermione parting her lips and granting him access without hesitation. His tongue slipped into her mouth and they twined and danced together languidly, a soft moan being caught in his mouth when he nibbled at her lip. Hermione's right hand trailed down Oliver's neck until she gripped his t-shirt and her left hand slipped into his hair – _how did he get his hair so soft?_ \- and she tugged, Oliver groaning in surprise and pressing himself against her.

Giving Hermione's current willingness to snog him senseless, he decided on taking a risk as his hands slipped down to her legs and he lifted her onto the counter, stepping in-between her parted legs without breaking the kiss, His hands ran the length of her curves above her clothing but beneath her jacket, and knowing he wouldn't be able to stay in control for much longer, he pulled his lower body away from her slightly. When the need for oxygen had his lungs burning, he pulled his mouth from hers, brazenly kissing across her cheek, his lips trailing down Hermione's neck and he sucked at her pulse point, pulling a soft moan from her. His length twitched at the sound.

"Oliver?" Hermione moaned, noticing the time on the clock on the living area wall above the fish tank.

"Hmm?" He hummed distractedly, still sucking on her pulse point, determined to leave a mark.

"It's 9:40," she gasped out.

Oliver pulled back from her so quickly, she nearly tipped forward off the counter.

"Shite!" He cursed. He kissed her one last time before darting out of the kitchen with Hermione's laughter following him as it echoed through the apartment.

"It's not funny!" He called before shutting his bedroom door.

He emerged fifteen minutes later with damp hair, his broom in hand and wearing his practice robes. He quickly crossed to the floo shouting a 'see ye later' over his shoulder to a laughing Hermione before he floo'd to the stadium with Quaffle by his side.

Once he was gone, Hermione retrieved her beaded bag and decided to have a quick visit to Muggle London before lunch to get something so she could start decorating one of the empty rooms and surprise Oliver.

~000~000~000~

Hermione was in the large empty room at the end of the corridor where the three spare bedrooms and bathroom were located.

She decided to decorate using magic since it would be quicker and it was a smaller room, the magic wouldn't take as long to settle. She charmed three of the walls red and the final wall cream, she left the cream carpet untouched and added cream curtains by the two bay windows. She removed the items she'd bought from her beaded bag and placed them where she wanted them before resizing them. She had a cream coloured corner suite and she placed it in the top left-hand corner of the room, placing the red and cream cushions on the corner suite and in the bay windows, with the red and cream leather bean bags being positioned strategically in the room. She'd also purchased the biggest TV that she could -forty inch- and she placed it in the centre of the right wall opposite the corner suite with a large open space in-between them. She placed her charm on the TV so that it would work without electricity and then she plopped herself down on the corner suite and looked around. The walls were still bare but she'd bought plenty more photo frames waiting to be filled.

When Hermione's stomach grumbled, she headed to the kitchen and noting that it was half an hour before Oliver would take his lunch break. She ate only a sandwich as she didn't wish to be bloated when she went wedding dress shopping, before she packed up the lunch she'd prepared for the team and floo'd to the stadium.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Oliver stepped out of the floo and jogged down the corridor, past reception and down the stands into the Coach's box and he was late, but he had an excuse. He wasn't upset that he didn't get a kiss to the cheek before he left for work because Hermione looked thoroughly snogged; her hair had been messy, her lips puffy and red, she'd had a slight blush to her cheeks and her chest had been heaving, he left a territorial bruise on her neck _and_ he'd managed to pull some very arousing sounds from her.

Oliver silently berated himself at the turn of his thoughts but he couldn't stop the pleased expression on her face when he approached the team, seeing them all take a subtle step backwards as it surprised them.

"You're late," Coach said in place of a greeting, his eyes narrowed as he reached down to greet Quaffle with a scratch behind the ears.

"Sorry, Coach," he apologised. "Hermione was tellin' mae what everyone needed tae work on befere the match tomorrow."

At the news, Coach Burton looked positively thrilled. "What did she suggest?"

"Malloy needs tae work on his turns 'coz he's sloppy an' could be sharper. Pallie needs tae work on breakin' the habit af favouring the left hoop, Bishop needs tae work on flyin' between players 'coz he's slow an' clumsy, Thompson needs tae work on his reflexes 'coz he's rubbish at avoiding bludgers – her words, not mine," he added, seeing Thomson's narrowed gaze and the team chuckled. "Kings needs tae work on his aim, Wilks need tae work on his backhander an' a need tae work on paying attention tae me surroundings rather than jus' focusing on the movement af the quaffle. An' she wants everyone else tae focus on regular drills until she has the chance tae see them in action," Oliver shrugged his shoulders, his teammates watching him in surprise.

"Well, you heard the man, get to work," Coach Burton said.

Just before one o'clock, Hermione floo'd into the stadium and she made her way to the Coach's box, laughing as Quaffle jumped up at her until she settled him in her arms and he licked her face.

"LUNCH" Coach Burton called when he saw Hermione approaching, the team sighing in relief for their long-awaited lunch break.

"I hear you gave Wood suggestions for training this morning," Coach spoke, Hermione growing suddenly nervous.

"I did. You're not mad, are you?"

He snorted. "No, it was actually helpful; I was going to get them to do laps and then continue with their drills from yesterday."

She sighed in relief before handing him his lunch, which he took and headed to his office.

"Hey, what're ye doin' here?" Oliver smiled, dismounting his broom beside her.

"You forgot to bring lunch with you in your haste to leave the apartment," Hermione said amused and she put Quaffle down on the floor. "I have to say, I don't think I've seen something so amusing in a long time, and I lived with Fred and George." Oliver grumbled and she chuckled before handing over the bag of food to Oliver. "Have you told the team about Thursday?" Hermione asked Oliver and he shook his head.

"A'll do it now befere a ferget," he looked over his shoulder, already seeing the team gathered not far behind him.

"Am goin' dress robe shopping on Thursday after training an' yer all coming," Oliver said.

"Really?" Kings said amused.

He nodded. "As yer Captain, a order ye tae come shopping with mae, a havnae decided on whether tae get robes yet or a muggle suit," he said before turning back to Hermione. "Hoo long are ye staying fer?"

"Not long, I'm leaving for Muggle London in about thirty minutes. The others are meeting me here before we head to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Why're you going to Muggle London?" Bishop asked confused.

"Well, I'm a Muggleborn and I want to at least have some of my muggle heritage represented in this wizarding ceremony, and I'm not overly fond of wizarding dress robes. I want a muggle dress. And not only will the press not be able to follow me, but Oliver's crazy fans also won't be able to find me, either. Anyway, I'll take Quaffle for a little while so he doesn't try to steal your food," Hermione smiled, leading the puppy away from them as they took seats in the stands, digging into the food that was dished out.

"I still can't believe you're marrying Hermione Granger," Kings muttered, Oliver's mouth tugging into a smirk. They were _never_ going to let it go.

"Well, a am," he shrugged.

"Lucky bastard," Pallie grumbled.

"Will you consider a swap? You can have Megan," Bishop said hopefully but the glare he received from Oliver had him stuffing food in his mouth and looking away.

"Naw, a don' want yer insufferable, spiteful girlfriend," Oliver glared, the teams sniggering at him. There were certainly far worse words he could've used and they all knew it. He'd been rather polite.

"You can't leave me with her," Bishop whined.

"Ye have the others tae bitch an' moan tae," he replied.

"It's not fair that you get her," Thompson mumbled.

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. He didn't choose his match. "Apparently, she's me perfect match."

"What?" They chorused in confusion.

Honestly, did any of them bother to read the article rather than just the headline?

"Supposedly, the Ministry cast complex spells an' charms tae find the perfect match fer those eligible fer the law. A got Hermione, she's me perfect match."

Their eyes darted from Oliver and to a laughing Hermione as Quaffle jumped up at her, trying to get the empty water bottle from her grasp.

"Nope, sorry, but I don't see it," Malloy said. "You're moody, she's smiley. She's smart and you're...Well not. You're dull, she's hilarious. She's beautiful, you're well... You," he ended innocently, the team sniggering whilst Oliver rolled his eyes.

"We both have a temper, we both like Quidditch an' we're both bein' forced tae marry each other. A cannae cook, she can. She's easy tae embarrass, am not. She's a Muggleborn, am a Pureblood. She's book smart, am street smart...Well she's street smart, tae, but tha's not the point," he shrugged. He received knowing looks from each of them. "What?"

"Nothing," several of them chorused innocently.

"There's obviously somethin' yer dying tae say an' yer gunna be a pain in the arse until ye get it aff yer chests, what is it?"

"It's nothing. We've just noticed some things, is all," Pallie said.

"Right?" He said slowly.

Pallie shrugged his shoulders. "You smile when she's around and it's downright scary," he said, his teammates silently nodding in agreement. "You looked like a hippogriff on a rampage when she was attacked by your fans, and I swear, you almost had steam coming out of your ears when she had an allergic reaction. You're protective of her," he finished. Oliver kept a passive face and shrugged.

At that point, Hermione had been playing fetch with Quaffle and she bent down to pick it up from the ground, Oliver's mouth twitching as he tilted his head to the side blatantly staring at her arse, not that Hermione knew. When she stood straight, Oliver turned his head and caught sight of his teammates also staring with cocked heads.

"Oi" He called, slapping Kings upside the head as he was closest to him and the team's attention turned to him, all of them looking unapologetic. "Do ye mind not staring at Hermione's arse?"

"No," they chorused as one and without hesitation.

"Let mae rephrase tha', stop staring at her arse," he glared.

"There's another for your list, Pallie," Fox laughed. "He's jealous, never thought I'd see the day."

"By the way, nice love bite you left on her neck," Fisher praised and Oliver looked pleased with himself, so much so, they burst into laughter. "Does she know it's there?"

"A don' think so," he shook his head. "If she did a'd likely be in hospital," Oliver replied and they snorted at him.

"Have you had the awkward ex's conversation, yet?" West asked curiously.

"Not exactly, she told mae aboot one. Viktor Krum," he shrugged, their eyebrows shot up and eyes widened.

"She's dated _Viktor Krum_?" Pallie said shocked.

Oliver nodded. "During her fourth year, but they broke up befere he left fer Bulgaria."

"Why?" Kelsy asked intrigued.

"She was fifteen, he was eighteen. He was pressurin' her an' she wouldn't give in, so he cheated on her an' then broke up with her," he answered, feeling anger towards Krum for the way he'd treated Hermione. "Not tha' she cared," he added with a smile.

"Bloody hell," he heard a mutter.

"So, how far have you gotten?" Malloy wiggled his eyebrows and Oliver glared.

"Tha's none af yer business, especially when it comes tae Hermione."

"So, you haven't...?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, unaware of Oliver's building rage.

"Naw, a don' want tae push her or pressure her. This situation is awkward enough withoot mae pushing the boundaries, a've gained her trust which wasn't easy tae do an' am not gunna risk losing it. Stop being an arsehole."

"So what you're saying is, she's a prude?"

Oliver made to lunge for Malloy but Hermione approached at that time, his movements stilling.

"Why does Oliver look like he wants to kill someone?" She questioned with her head cocked to the side, the team staring at her silently, not knowing how to answer her question.

"No reason," Malloy laughed nervously, ignorant to Oliver's furiously glare.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders before sitting down on the ground before them. "The others will be here soon," Hermione told Oliver, seeing his still furious expression. "Seriously, what has your wand in a knot? Is training not going well? Do they not understand what they're supposed to be doing? Is someone injured?" She questioned, her eyes scanning each of the players, noting they were all present and didn't appear to have any visible injuries.

Oliver's rage began to dissipate as he looked at her worried expression and he smiled slightly. "It doesn't matter anymore but it's a good thing ye came over when ye did, otherwise we'd be a chaser down," he looked pointedly at Malloy, said chaser shifting uncomfortably.

She dropped the subject. "Have you told them yet?"

"Told us what?" Thompson asked, looking between them with a raised eyebrow.

"Hermione's the new Junior Coach," Oliver said smugly, taking pride in the disbelief written on their faces.

"What?" He spluttered.

"I'm the new Junior Coach, I start on Thursday."

"But in thirteen years, Coach's _never_ offered anyone a job," Kings muttered, staring at her in wonder.

"I guess I'm the exception. How are you finding the drills I gave Oliver this morning? Are they helpful?" She asked curiously, a smile tugging at her mouth when they all seemed to nod.

"I don't see how we can improve by tomorrow though," Wilks said.

"What time's the match?"

"Starts at four," Oliver told her.

"Well, you still have today and most of tomorrow. The best you can do for now is to just keep doing what you've been doing and when I start on Thursday, I'll help you all to develop your skills."

"How?" Oliver asked inquisitively.

"Don't worry, I know _exactly_ how to help you and I don't think you're going to like it," she said, smiling innocently as Oliver raised a questioning eyebrow at her expression, knowing from experience nothing good ever came from that expression.

When released a bark and dropped the water bottle he'd been playing with before running up the stands, Hermione rose to her feet.

"Everyone's here," she explained. "Well, wish me luck; I'm going to need it."

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London**

Hermione'd been in the wedding dress boutique for a long three hours and so far Fleur had her bridesmaid dress, and Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood had found their wedding outfits.

Fleur's bridesmaid dress was a floor-length A-line silhouette dress that was light blue in colour and it had a sheer illusion neckline with lace embellishments and back detailing. Four-inch peep-toe heels had been purchased to finish the outfit; the colour would be charmed to match the dress at a later date. Mrs. Wood had purchased a new dress for the wedding and they'd decided that the mothers -surrogate and mother-in-law- would wear blue, too. Mrs. Wood's dress was a blue-grey lace sheath silhouette dress with an illusion neckline, three quarter length sleeves and it fell above the knees with silver stilettos to match the dress. Mrs. Weasley had taken some persuading but they'd found a dark blue taffeta, knee-length dress with a sheath silhouette and a v-neck neckline, the matching three-quarter length sleeved, lace cover-up and small heeled shoes complimenting the dress.

But they had yet to find Hermione's wedding dress.

The first time she'd entered the dressing room was the worst. The shop worker assigned to her helped her dress in the gown Mrs. Weasley had chosen. Hermione removed her robe and the shop worker gasped as she got a look at Hermione's scared stomach, back and arm. Feeling self-conscious, Hermione looked down and away from herself; that was exactly why she didn't want Oliver to see her. If the woman behind her was horrified, how would Oliver, her future husband react? She knew she should've glamoured what she could.

"What happened to you?" The woman asked, horrified.

"I was in a war,"

"Are you a soldier?"

"Yes," she replied, knowing it was true. She was a child soldier."Or I was; I'm retired."

"Why do you have all these scars?"

"Consequences of war," she muttered, putting an end to the conversation and the woman took the hint, selecting the first gown from the rack and helping Hermione to dress.

"So, tell me about your fiancé," she prompted.

"He's kind, caring and generous. He's incredibly handsome, unfairly so. We went to the same boarding school in Scotland, but he was four years ahead of me."

"What does he do?"

"He's a professional athlete, just made Captain of his team," she replied, being grateful that the woman didn't ask what sport or team, rather, she was too busy daydreaming about Merlin knows what, a dreamy smile on her face.

"When's the wedding?" She asked after Hermione cleared her throat.

"I'm cutting it a bit short, we're getting married in sixteen days."

The woman's eyes widened in both surprise and horror. "Well, we better ensure we find you the perfect gown."

When the gown was fastened appropriately to her size with clips, she spun to face the mirror, an instant grimace settling on her face. The dress was far too puffy and well... Old fashioned, but seeing as Mrs. Weasley had chosen it, she convinced herself to step out of the dressing room to show them the gown and to hear the opinions of her companions. Mrs. Weasley gasped, her eyes tearing up a little whilst Mrs. Wood and Fleur didn't like the dress at all. She went back into the dressing room and tried on Fleur's and Mrs. Wood's choices. Fleur's was far too restraining and far too form-fitting and Mrs. Wood's was for too princessy and blingy.

She'd tried on dress after dress after dress and Hermione was growing more dejected as the minutes ticked by. The dresses were either too puffy, too ridiculous, too tight, too big, too sheer, too expensive, or had too many ruffles or she didn't like the style or fabric. They just weren't her.

"Hermione, Dear," Mrs. Weasley called.

Hermione stepped out of the changing room wearing a white fluffy robe and she crossed over to her companions, sitting on the ottoman before the couch they perched on. Mrs. Weasley sat forward and reached out, taking Hermione's hands in hers and gazing softly at her defeated and downtrodden expression.

"Hermione, what's the matter?"

Hermione shrugged sadly. "Nothing feels right," she muttered. The three older women shared a look.

"Is it because your mother isn't here?"

"It's part of it," Hermione confessed.

"We can get her, where ever she is, she's but a port-key away. It wouldn't take long," Mrs. Wood said kindly.

Hermione shook her head, unable to hold back the tears that welled in her eyes as they silently rolled down her cheeks.

"You can't, you won't be able to find her."

"Hermione, why isn't your mother helping to plan the wedding?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"She can't,"

"Nonsense. _Every_ mother has time to plan their daughter's wedding."

"Zat is true, my mozer came from France to help plan my wedding," Fleur injected.

"She can't," she repeated.

"What happened between the two of you? Whatever it is, I'm sure it can be fixed. You haven't spoken about your parents in a while."

"It can't be fixed." Hermione's tears fell more forcefully.

"Af course, it can, Dear," Mrs. Wood disagreed

"No, they're dead," Hermione blurted out, not truly registering what she was saying.

"What?" The whispered simultaneously.

"They died during the war. I obliviated them and sent them away to Australia. I received word from the Australian Ministry just before Bill and Fleur's wedding, they were found by Death Eaters. They were tortured and murdered."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mrs. Weasley said stunned, but softly.

"I was ashamed of what I did. I failed to protect them and it's because I am who I am. I am who I am because of my loyalty to Harry. My parents died not even knowing who I was. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me because I'm a failure," she sobbed.

"Oh, _Chérie_ ," Fleur whispered sorrowfully. She sat forward and pulled Hermione into her, hugging her softly. And Hermione being able to speak French thanks to her late Grandfather understood each softly muttered words of comfort in Fleur's native tongue.

Hermione and Fleur had become a lot closer since the end of the war, being the only females beside Mrs. Weasley in the Weasley family; they had to stick together against all the testosterone.

"My dear child," her surrogate mother whispered, tears filling her eyes as she took Hermione in a bone-crushing hug the moment Fleur released her. "I am not disappointed in you, Hermione. What you did, you did out of fear and love. Not many people would have the ability or courage to do such a thing. I am proud of you and it wasn't your fault that they were found. You sent them to the other side of the world, if they could be found there; they could've been found anywhere. I just wish you would've told me sooner."

"I couldn't. It hurts to talk about it. It hurts to be reminded that I couldn't protect my family," she cried.

"Do Fred and George know?" She asked softly. Hermione nodded. "Have you told Oliver?" Hermione nodded again.

"Ye may have lost yer family," Mrs. Wood started gently, "But yer've gained twa." Hermione looked up at her and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Jus' 'coz yer bein' forced tae marry me son doesn't mean tha' ye'll be a'thing less than me daughter-in-law. Anno Oliver cares her ye an' a can see tha' ye care fer him, tae,"

Hermione blushed at her words but nodded silently as they chuckled at her. "It's hard not to. He's a good man and a wonderful wizard."

"The more people you tell, the easier it will be to for you to deal with the past," Mrs. Weasley promised.

Hermione nodded but said, "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course, we won't, Dear. This is something that only you can reveal," she assured her.

"So, now tha' yer've gotten tha' aff yer chest, ye can now find the perfect wedding dress with the help af yer family," Mrs. Wood smiled softly.

Hermione wiped away the rest of her tears and they set to work searching the boutique, pulling more gowns from the racks than they could carry. When Hermione returned to the dressing room, her bridal assistant helped her into her dress, did up the buttons and clipped it to size and then Hermione looked in the mirror.

A gasp fell from her lips. She'd found her dress and despite the fact she was being _forced_ to marry and that she didn't have her mother with her, she felt tears begin to prickle in her eyes, happy tears.

She was wearing a white strapless floor-length tulle ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, pearl and crystal beading embellishments and it had a chapel length train. The gown wasn't too big or puffy; it was a mixture of elegant and beautiful and Hermione could move in it without falling over or getting stuck in the door frame. She slipped on a pair of white five-inch closed-toe heels and a silver tiara was placed on her head. Hermione didn't want to wear it but she didn't argue for the moment.

She stepped out of the dressing room and the three women waiting for her ceased in their conversation as they turned her, sudden gasps falling from their lips.

"Oh, you look stunning. Absolutely beautiful," Mrs. Weasley said with her hand against her mouth and tears in her eyes. Fleur and Mrs. Wood didn't look to be in better condition.

"This is the one. This is my dress," Hermione beamed a smile

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

Hermione arrived home not long before Oliver and she quickly set to work on making dinner for the evening. When Oliver arrived home, he went in search of Hermione and found her in the library, perched in one of the armchairs.

"Hoo did yer dress hunting go?" Oliver questioned, Hermione startling at his presence.

"Oh hey, what did you say?"

He chuckled at her. "Hoo did yer dress hunting go?" He repeated.

"We got everything we needed; Fleur's bridesmaid dress, my wedding dress and Mrs. Weasley and your mum bought new dresses, too. They're at the Burrow where they'll be magically altered before the ceremony"

Oliver watched her, cocking his head to the side. Something was different. He couldn't tell what but he knew something had changed.

"What happened taday?"

"What'd you mean?" She frowned in confusion.

"There's somethin' different aboot ye," his brow furrowed in thought.

"They know about my parents," she sighed, tiredly rubbing her hand over her face.

He'd come to realise it was one of her habits. He'd noticed that when she was upset, annoyed or tired, she rubbed a hand over her face, rubbed her temples or she bit her bottom lip.

"Ye told them?"

"Yes, I feel like a weight's been lifted now they know but there's still people to tell and they don't know about my past. They promised they wouldn't tell anyone until I was ready."

He smiled at her. "Am proud af ye," he commented. She looked up at him with a blush. "Anno hoo difficult it is fer ye tae talk aboot yer past an' yet ye told another three people aboot yer parents."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Wednesday 15th July 1998**

Early the next morning, Oliver was laid in bed waiting for Hermione's nightmares, and right on cue, the screaming started. He climbed out of bed and made his way to Hermione's room and as soon as he settled behind her and pulled her to him, she quieted down and not long after she woke up and turned to face him. Oliver wiped away her tears and they watched one another for a little while, neither speaking or breaking the silence.

"You have a match tomorrow, you should be asleep," she muttered.

"Not until ye go tae sleep, Sparrow."

"Oliver," she scowled at him.

"Am not sleeping until ye fall asleep an' we both know tha' won't be fer another hour or so," he replied, Hermione releasing a sigh of annoyance.

As he watched her eyes close, Oliver remembered that something had been bothering him since his talk with the team. He knew Hermione was a virgin but he didn't know how many boys she'd dated or how much she had experienced sexually. He didn't want to push her but he needed to know; when the time came, he didn't overstep any boundaries and he wanted to be prepared.

"Sparrow?"

"Hmm?"

"A wanna talk tae ye aboot somethin'."

"It's going to be awkward, isn't it?" She replied knowingly.

"Aye," he chuckled when she sighed.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

"A wanna know hoo far ye went with Krum."

Hermione's face flamed red and she buried her head beneath her pillow.

"Why?" Her muffled voice said.

"A need tae know aboot boundaries."

"We're getting married. Pretty soon there won't be _any_ boundaries."

She had a point, but he still wanted to know. He _needed_ to know.

"A still wanna know."

She huffed and he took that to mean she'd answer his questions.

"Kissing?"

"Obviously." He didn't have to see her to know she was rolling her eyes.

"Touching?" When she didn't move, he clarified. "Did he touch ye, either above or beneath clothes?" She nodded her head and he could tell by the movement of the pillow. "Both?" She nodded. "Where did he touch ye?" Hermione made a small squeaking noise and he moved onto the next question. "Did ye touch him, either above or beneath clothing?" She nodded. "Both?" She nodded. A wave of jealousy hit him. Now he was going to get _very_ personal. "Did he give ye an orgasm?" She shook her head. "Did ye give him one?" She nodded. "How many?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Have ye _ev'r_ had an orgasm?" She shook her head again.

That pleased him; he would be the only one to give her that experience, and he _would_ give her that experience. He couldn't wait to make her fall apart under his hands, mouth and body. When his thoughts ran away from him, he shook his head.

"Oral?"

"NO!" She shrieked, mortified. He chuckled at her, deciding he knew enough to end her torture.

"Naw more questions. What aboot mae? Is there somethin' ye wanna know?"

"No, I don't want to know about your past relationships."

"Why?" He frowned slightly. He would've thought she would.

"I don't want to feel inferior or inadequate to those other girls."

Oliver's frowned deepened. "Yer've nothing tae worry aboot," he promised. "They were jus' one night stands. Yer actually the longest relationship a've had."

"Oh, that makes me feel _so_ much better," she replied sarcastically. "We've only technically been dating for a grand total of twenty-two days."

"What's the longest relationship yer've been in?"

"Four and a half months," she answered.

He frowned. "Is Krum the only guy yer've dated?"

"No, there was a muggle boy the summer after my fifth year," was her muffled reply.

"Hoo long did tha' last?"

"Not long, about six weeks."

They laid in quiet for a while and when Hermione no longer felt embarrassed, she removed her head from under her pillow.

"It's aboot time, a thought ye were stuck under there," Oliver spoke amused and she shrugged.

"Your own fault," she muttered before turning to look at him with a thoughtful expression.

"What?" He arched an eyebrow.

"How many people have you slept with?"

"A thought ye dinnae wanna know?"

"I don't mean that. I mean sleep-sleep. You know, shared a bed with and you can count your parents."

"In tha' case, it's one".

"Seriously?" She questioned in surprise. He nodded. "Who?"

"Ye, the night ye told mae aboot yer past."

"You've never shared a bed with your parents?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Not tha' a remember. Hoo many people have ye shared a bed with?"

"Seven," she shrugged.

"Who?" He felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Fred and George, Ginny, my parents, Harry and you," she listed.

"Why?"

"Fred and George would stay with me through my nightmares and sometimes they fell asleep rather than going back to their own rooms. I slept with my parents when I was ill or had nightmares as a child. I slept with Ginny when I was staying at the Burrow. We had our own beds but we sometimes shared and we stayed awake and talked. And I sometimes shared a bed with Harry on the run. Ron leaving really hurt me and Harry would comfort me, and we sometimes shared a bed for warmth because it was cold."

"So, what does yer dress look like?" He changed the subject, seeing her expression brightened.

"Well, it's white," she replied vaguely and he smiled at her. "You should really get some sleep."

"Am not sleeping until ye do," he shook his head.

"I can already feel myself drifting off," she muttered with her eyes closed.

And before he knew it she was asleep.

~000~000~000~

Oliver awoke to the feel of something on his chest and something tickling his chin. He opened his eyes to see Hermione practically on top of him, her head laid on his chest and her arm thrown over his waist whilst he had one arm thrown around her waist, resting against her stomach and keeping her to him.

He couldn't contain the smile that spread across his face. He could really get used to her sleeping so close. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her she was the only person he'd ever 'slept' with. He generally didn't like sharing a bed, he liked to have space and be free to move around and to kick off the blankets if he was too warm, but it was the second time he'd fallen asleep with Hermione next to him and it was also the best night's sleep he'd ever gotten.

Although Hermione's nightmares had woken him and they'd stayed up for a while talking, he'd never felt more relaxed or rested. He knew he still had time to sleep since Hermione wasn't awake yet but he chose to listen to the rhythmic and calming sounds of Hermione's slow and steady breathing. He looked down and shifted slightly so he could see her face and he was happy to see she seemed peaceful.

It wasn't long before Hermione's breathing pattern changed and Oliver knew she would soon be waking, so he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep to save her the embarrassment she would surely feel when she looked into his eyes. He felt Hermione stiffen against him. He waited for her outburst but was instead stunned when she moved away from him, kissed him on the cheek and then climbed out the bed with a "let's go Quaffle" and she shut the door behind her.

Oliver waited a few moments to open his eyes and when the smell of food hit his nose, he left the room with a smile on his face. When he stepped into the kitchen, she was no longer in her pyjamas but dressed in a grey hooded jumper and black leggings.

"Morning, Sparrow," he greeted as he pulled out a chair from beneath the table and sat down.

"Morning," she smiled as she set a plate down in front of him. He stared in surprise: the plate was filled with every component of a full English breakfast, along with a side plate of bacon, but still, he'd never be able to eat everything on the plate due to the sheer amount of food.

"Are ye tryin' tae make mae fat?"

She laughed at him and sat down at the table, placing his tea and orange juice in front of him

"No, but you've got your first match today and I wanted you to have a big breakfast. So, are you nervous?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really,"

"I'm sure it'll kick in once you get in the air."

"What time are ye coming taday?"

"Around three o'clock, I think. The twins are letting Leo use their floo, so he'll floo to the stadium and I'll be waiting for him Coach owled me some tickets which I gave to the twins, so they're closing the shop early. He also said Leo can sit in the Coach's box today as long as he doesn't get in the way, which I admit, did surprise me." Oliver chuckled at her happy and pleased expression. "I've made lunch already. You're having turkey and stuffing sandwiches, pasta and I've baked chocolate chip cookies. And you should leave Quaffle here today."

"Why?"

"I have a surprise planned that requires his presence, one that you're not to see until before the match," she answered. He shook his head amused and he ate what he could before he felt ill.

"If a eat anymore, am gunna burst."

She rolled her eyes. "I almost forgot, I have a surprise for you." He arched an eyebrow at her excited expression. She stood from her chair, grabbed his hand and then dragged him out of his seat, out of the kitchen and down the corridor to the room she'd decorated yesterday. "I did this yesterday morning." She opened the door, allowing him to enter first.

"Is tha' what a think it is?" He asked amazed and pointing to the TV.

She nodded. "Yes, I remember how excited you were when I explained what they were, so I thought I'd get us one for here. When I have the chance, I'll buy some DVD's later on and we can start up a collection. "So do you like it?"

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Hermione floo'd over to the stadium just before three o'clock with Quaffle by her side, and she'd only been waiting a few minutes when Leo stepped out dressed in his Puddlemere scarf and jersey. When he caught sight of her, he beamed widely before rushing over to her and hugging her around the waist.

"Hey, Leo," she greeted.

"Hey, Hermione, Mr. Weasleys said you don't work at the shop no more," he muttered, looking up at her with sad eyes.

"That's right, I don't."

"Why?"

"Because people found out that I'm marrying Oliver and his fans hurt me at work so I had to leave. But don't worry, we'll still see each other and I have a new job."

"You do?"

"Yes," she smiled, preparing herself for his reaction. "I'm the new Junior Coach for Puddlemere." He gasped loudly, his eyes widening as she stared at her excitedly. "And that's not all; today you'll be sitting in the Coach's box with me, Quaffle and Coach Burton."

"Really?" He bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Yes," she laughed. "Should we go meet the team?"

"I get to meet everyone?"

"Yes, you get to meet everyone, let's go."

She took his hand and they walked through the building with Quaffle by their side, climbing down the stands where the team was gathered.

" _What_ is he wearing?" Oliver asked Hermione as she neared him after Quaffle alerted them to their arrival. She laughed, pleased with herself at his surprised reaction. She'd dressed the puppy in a transfigured Oliver Wood Puddlemere jersey, equipped with a Cooling Charm to prevent him from getting too warm as it was still summer.

"I thought you could do with some support. I bet no other player has a dog rooting for them," Hermione grinned and Oliver laughed before picking up the puppy, Quaffle licking his face in greeting.

As he looked to Hermione, Oliver noticed that she was also wearing an Oliver Wood Puddlemere jersey but this one was different. He could tell that it _hadn't_ been transfigured and it was too big. Far too big. In fact, it fell off her right shoulder and she had tied a knot at the waistline otherwise it would've fallen just below her mid-thigh. That only meant one thing.

Hermione smiled and nodded at his unspoken question.

 _'She's wearing my jersey. She's actually wearing one of my jerseys from my wardrobe,'_ he thought with an appreciative groan, finding it hard to take his eyes off her.

When Leo tugged on Hermione's hand, she looked down at him.

"Oh right," she cleared her throat. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce to you my very good friend, Leo," she introduced. The team greeted him with smiles and waves and Leo shyly waved back from his place half-hidden behind Hermione.

Seeing this, Oliver set Quaffle on the ground before kneeling before the little wizard.

"So, yer the little man tha's stolen the heart af me future wife?" Oliver questioned and Hermione chuckled.

"Hermione's just my friend," Leo said shyly.

"A dunno aboot tha'; she talks aboot ye all the time. All a hear is Leo this an' Leo tha'..." He gestured a talking motion with his hand and Leo laughed as Hermione reached out and playfully Oliver on the shoulder. "She's not as nice as she seems," Oliver stage whispered. "She's really violent; a have more injuries from her than a do Quidditch." Hermione hit him again and the team sniggered at them. "See?"

"Hermione would never hurt anyone," Leo defended her. The team snorted at Leo's reply; they'd all witnessed the hexes she put Melanie and Hannah under.

"Well, tha' rule doesn't apply tae mae but a wouldn't have her any other way," Oliver replied, Hermione's expression softening as she looked down at him. "So, Hermione says tha' ye wanted tae meet mae an' the team?" Leo nodded shyly. "Would ye like tae have a photo taken an' fer us tae autograph yer jersey?" Leo nodded, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "Great, but first a need ye tae answer a very important question." Leo shifted on his feet nervously. "Who's yer favourite team?" Oliver asked, his expression as serious as an outbreak of Dragon Pox.

"Puddlemere," he answered without thought or hesitation, looking at Oliver as though he were an idiot for even thinking he would give any other answer and Hermione laughed.

"Good answer, one more question? Who's yer favourite member af the team?"

"Hermione," the little wizard replied without missing a beat. The team burst out laughing at Oliver's stunned face and Hermione's smug, pleased expression.

Oliver shook his head and laughed.

"Ye know what, she's mine, taw," he staged whispered.

The team signed Leo's jersey for him including Coach Burton and Hermione -at Leo's insistence- and then they all headed into the building so they could get ready for the match, Hermione staying with Leo and Quaffle in the Coach's box until the match began.

~000~000~000~

The match had started and the players were flying around the pitch, searching for the snitch, hitting bludgers and passing the quaffle back and forth. They were an hour into the game and Hermione, Leo and Coach Burton were stood at the railing, shouting and yelling at the players for different reasons. Coach Burton was yelling because he was frustrated, Hermione was yelling for their players to watch out for bludgers and Leo was yelling encouragements. The three of them were making quite the scene, so much that Fred, George and Mr. and Mrs. Wood could hear them from the family box, amusing them.

Puddlemere were tied with the Montrose Magpies with a score of 50 – 50 points and the snitch had yet to be spotted. Hermione was growing agitated. Every time the opposing team's chasers headed towards Oliver, she would grip the railing until her knuckles went white and close one eye and watch, hoping that Oliver didn't get injured and so far it had worked, but even though Oliver was on the other side of the pitch and she couldn't see him very well, she knew that he was agitated, too, but for different reasons.

He was annoyed that he'd allowed five goals and he was flying back and forth in an equivalent to pacing. He halted to a stop when a Montrose chaser headed his way and he positioned himself in front of the centre hoop, giving himself the better advantage point. He waited and waited and when the quaffle left the chaser's hands Oliver put on a burst of speed and he darted forward, knocking the quaffle out of the way before it went through the left hoop and Puddlemere took possession as he heard the roar of the crowd.

Another hour into the game and there had only been two injuries; a chaser from the Montrose Magpies and Wilks since he'd accidentally gotten hit by a bludger as he'd flown right in front of it. Replacements were put in place and the game continued.

The snitch had been spotted by the Montrose seeker and Thompson was hot on her tail. She appeared to have the advantage but Thompson had more experience and determination to win, there was a reason he was ranked seventh in the league. He flattened himself against his broom, building up speed and he came side by side with the other seeker. He reached his hand out and just before he wrapped his fingers around the snitch, Thompson ducked, narrowly missing being hit in the head by a bludger and it distracted the other seeker long enough for the snitch to disappear out of sight.

"What a spanner!" Hermione muttered. "He should've seen that coming a mile away. Looks like we have our work cut out for us."

"Do you think you can fix it?" Coach asked her.

She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing at him; his hair was stuck up at odd angles from him constantly running his hands through it.

"It may take some time, but yes, I think I can help them." He looked relieved but that didn't last long when he turned his attention back to the game. "Malloy looks like he's about foul," Hermione muttered.

Coach Burton narrowed his eyes. "MALLOY, DON'T YOU DARE!" He yelled furiously, his voice carrying in the wind.

"He heard you," Hermione informed him, noticing that Malloy had shifted slightly on his broom, changing his posture and positioning.

All of a sudden, Hermione heard a roar of gasps and screams.

"A BLUDGER'S COLLIDED WITH OLIVER WOOD AND HE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE MOVING!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 22

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Wednesday 15th July 1998**

Hermione's head snapped to the pitch floor where she saw Oliver being levitated onto a stretcher before he was taken away.

Hermione's breathing halted as her chest tightened painfully and her head filled with fog. She stumbled backwards, Coach Burton catching her and righting her before she tripped and fell to the ground, and she looked at him with wide and unfocused eyes. She could see his lips moving but the sound didn't reach her ears. All she could hear heartbeat pounding in her ears, all she could focus on was the panic and pain that ripped through her very being, making it difficult to catch her breath.

These feelings, they weren't for an acquaintance or a friend, or even a family member. There were for a lover, companion. The realisation hit her like a heard of hippogriffs. She didn't know when, she didn't know how, but she knew she'd fallen in love with Oliver. She loved him.

She didn't know how long she'd been struggling to compose herself but in the time, the twins and Oliver's parents had appeared in the Coach's box, surrounding her. Their lips were moving but no sound was heard, Fred and George looked worried and not even their touch helped her to find her grip on reality. What did was the next announcement.

"IS THERE A LICENSED HEALER PRESENT?"

Snapping back to attention, she had her wand in her hand and pointed, muttering " _Periculum_ ," as a red beam of light signalled her location long before anyone in the audience had the chance to respond to the announcement.

The twins shared a frown, their eyes darting to Hermione in confusion and suspicion; she'd never mentioned that she was a licensed healer, especially given her age, lack of NEWTs and medical training.

The referee halted a stop by the Coach's box and the only thought in Hermione's mind was that she had to get to Oliver, her deathly fear of flying momentarily forgotten.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT WAS HERMIONE GRANGER! PUDDLEMERE'S NEWEST JUNIOR COACH AND OLIVER WOOD'S SOON TO BE WIFE!" At the announcement, there was a mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd.

Hermione dismounted the broom as soon as she was able, almost slipping on the ground as she took off in a run, bursting through the opening of the medical tent, her eyes immediately locking on Oliver being a padded table in the middle of the tent as he was surrounded by three healers, none of them looking as though they had any idea of what they were doing. How the hell had they passed their examinations? Why weren't they helping him? They were too busy whisper-hissing to one another.

With her tears blurring her vision and silently falling down her face, she quickly crossed over to him.

"Why aren't you healing him?" Hermione snapped.

"We're not sure how to," one of the healers admitted meekly.

"You're healers, are you not?" She seethed. She was as far from happy as a person could be? If they couldn't heal him, what the hell were they even doing in the medical tent?"

"We graduated last week, the senior healer floo'd in sick this afternoon. We passed our examinations but we have no experience in Quidditch induced injuries, and should we proceed with treatment without a supervisor, we may worsen the damage already done," the second healer spoke, his complexion paling under her glare.

"This is despicable. The Quidditch Laws state there must _always_ be a senior healer present. If the intended healer was sick, another should've been brought in and if it's not possible, the match should be cancelled and rescheduled at a later date!" She raged. "The Quidditch Officials will be no more by the time I've filed my complaints for the break in protocol. Now, get out!" She all but growled.

"But..."

"I said, out now!" Her voice rose shrilly and they were quick to scurry out of the tent, all but wetting themselves in fear.

Taking a breath, Hermione's hand raised to press against his cold cheek before her eyes fluttered closed and her hands hovered over Oliver's chest, her palms open and face down. She was unaware of the audience that had stepped into the tent, unmoving and silent.

Hermione's hands glowered a dull yellow before gradually brightening to a blinding gold that surrounded both she and Oliver until there were hidden, her observers being forced to shield their eyes lest they go blind.

Moments passed when the glow began to shrink and the colour faded until there was but a dull light emitting from her hands. In that time, Hermione seemed to have acquired a nose bleed, a paling complexion, shaking limbs and she bit her lip painfully. A sudden ragged gasp fell from her lips, her hands dropped to clutch at the side of the table to keep her upright as her head went fuzzy, and she bowed her head low, struggling to catch her breath. Oliver's eyes fluttered before they slowly opened, his vision clearing quickly as his gaze instantly looked on Hermione, looking confused.

"Yer hurt," he muttered with a frown, lifting his arm until his hand swiped at the blood beneath her nose, Hermione giving her head a light shake as she leaned into his touch.

"I'm fine. You were hurt," she said softly, leaning over him so he didn't have to crane his neck uncomfortably to keep eye contact with her.

"What happened?"

"You were oblivious to your surroundings," Hermione scolded.

"A was hit by a bludger?"

"Yes, you idiot, you were hit by a bludger."

"Was it bad?"

"Internal bleeding and organ damage, a broken leg, a broken arm, a broken clavicle and deep tissue bruises."

"So, no damage tae me handsome face?" His mouth twitched.

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're going to be fine," she promised, pushing his hair back from his eyes tenderly.

"Did ye heal mae? A think ye did."

Hermione's hand froze in place. "What do you mean?"

His brow furrowed. "A could _feel_ it, yer magic. It was surrounding mae, a could feel it flowin' through me body, brushing against me magical core. It was like a was floating in water an' yer magic was the balm tha' soothed the pain. A still feel a little achy otherwise fine." He used his elbows to slowly push himself up into a sitting position, Hermione helping him with her hand on his arm. "Hoo did ye do it, anno it was ye?"

Her eyes darted away from him, her cheeks pinking. "I...I, well I..." She stuttered anxiously.

"Your hands were glowing," Fred spoke, alerting them to their presence. Hermione's attention snapped to them, her eyes widening in horror as they walked further into the room with Mr. and Mrs. Wood, stop but a few feet before her.

"You don't look so good," George frowned in concern.

"Hoo did ye heal me son?" Mrs. Wood asked, her voice quiet and surprised.

"And _how_ are you a licensed healer?" Fred questioned, eyeing her suspiciously.

Hermione's face had darkened to red, doing her best not to fidget with her hands and to avoid eye contact.

"A think anno," Mr. Wood mused, pinning Hermione with a knowing glance.

Hermione sighed in defeat, knowing there was no going back.

"I'm a licensed healer and I could heal Oliver because I'm a natural healer," she confessed.

You could hear a pin drop in the room before Fred and George burst into laughter.

"Good one, Mia," Fred praised. However, the look she pinned him with, had his laughter dying immediately as he stared at her. "Wait, you're serious?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, I'm being serious."

"But... They're incredibly rare..." George muttered. "So rare, they're almost thought to be extinct. There's said to be no more than fifty in the _entire_ Wizarding World."

"I know, I'm the only identified natural healer in Britain," she replied.

"Hoo long have ye known?" Mr. Wood asked curiously.

"Since I was around sixteen, the only people that know are myself and Professor McGonagall. It's one of the reasons we took a look at my family tree, and there's a reason Fred woke from his coma so quickly."

"It was you. _You healed me_ ," Fred mumbled in understanding, his eyes widening slightly.

She nodded sheepishly. "The healers gave you the potions but that wasn't what healed you. The night you were taken to hospital, the night of the Final Battle, I snuck into your room at St. Mungo's. George was asleep so I took the opportunity to do a bit of healing. Over the two weeks, every night I healed your body a little more until you were ready to wake from the coma. But because it was such a difficult and large job I had to do it in small doses, I'd never healed injuries such as yours before and I had to take my time. My healing you is why you were released within two weeks and it's why the healers said they'd never seen a patient so healthy after injuries such as yours."

"Not only did you save my brother's life once, you saved it _twice,_ " George spoke quietly, his expression filled with so much emotion, it hurt to look at him and she lowered her gaze. Feeling the weight of Oliver's eyes on her, she turned her eyes to him.

"Ye dinnae tell mae," he said, the hurt in his tone unmasked, piercing her heart painfully. "Why dinnae ye tell mae?"

"I didn't even tell the twins," she replied. "Professor McGonagall's the only one that knew. If people found out what I could do..." She trailed off, allowing them to come to their own conclusions. "I was afraid of what you'd think of me. I'm an anomaly in the Wizarding World."

"No, you're not, Mia," Fred disagreed, closing the distance between them and pulling her into a hug. "You're special, _incredibly_ special. People would kill to have the ability you have and I understand why you didn't tell us. Thank you for saving my life...Again. "

George, feeling the tense atmosphere, decided it best to lighten the mood. "Hey, we have our own personal healer. St. Mungo's won't have to give us our own ward now," he grinned as Hermione and Fred snorted at him.

"Will this ability be passed on tae yer children?" Mr Wood asked. Hermione flinched at his words with Fred and George gave her a knowing, sad look.

Oliver's suspicion that Hermione was keeping things from him grew. Whenever children were mentioned she'd become uncomfortable and a pinched expression always seemed to settle on her face. At first, he'd put it down to nerves knowing she was a virgin, but now, he wasn't sure.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I don't know _how_ I got this ability. I do know I was _born_ with it but from my research, I haven't been able to determine if my ancestors had it, too. In most cases, magical abilities are hereditary such as shape-shifters and Metamorphmagi, but you have to take into account Seers and Lycanthropes, both who have abilities which are _not_ hereditary, I won't know for certain until it either does or doesn't happen. You won't tell anyone about this, will you?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"No, we won't," George assured her. "This _has_ to be kept secret for your safety."

Her gaze moved to Oliver, seeing his furrowed brow and thoughtful expression and before she had the chance to speak, the commentator's loud announcement interrupted.

"THOMPSON CAUGHT THE SNITCH! PUDDLEMERE WINS! 210 – 60!"

Hermione's face pulled into a proud, beaming smile. "Congratulations! You did it! Your first win as Captain!"

~000~000~000~

After finishing with the customary after game interview and congratulations, showering and changing into clean clothes, Oliver stepped out of the locker rooms to find Hermione stood against the wall with both Leo and Quaffle.

"Hi," she smiled in greeting. "I just thought I'd let you know that I'm taking Leo back to the shop and then I'll see you at home."

Oliver's mouth tugged into a smile at her acceptance and referral to the apartment as her home, _their_ home.

"Yer not coming oot with us tae celebrate?" He frowned slightly.

"No, not this time," she shook her head. "The twins have already left and owled Leo's mother. I'm going to wait with him until she comes to collect him."

"Ye could always meet up with us afterwards," he suggested.

"It's alright, I've some contracts and what not to read over and sign by tomorrow anyway, and someone has to watch Quaffle. Besides, you don't want your soon to be ministry appointed wife out on the town and celebrating with you; I'm sure you'll have much more fun if it's just you and the boys."

"A need tea talk tea ye aboot somethin'."

"It can wait until you get home, you could do with having a bit of fun and letting off some steam. I know how stressful these last few weeks have been for you." She smiled before reaching up to press a kiss to his cheek, stepping back, taking Leo's hand in hers and they disappeared down the corridor with Quaffle following after them.

"You never mentioned Hermione's a licensed healer," Kings spoke from behind him and he turned to face his gathered teammates, all of them freshly showered, dressed and ready for a night of celebrating their first win of the season.

"Tha's 'coz a dinnae know."

"But how? She's not old enough and she didn't take her NEWT's," Wilks said, his confusion matching that of the other faces looking to him expectantly.

"It doesn't matter," Pallie interrupted. "Well, Captain, let's go and break some hearts." Pallie clamped a hand on her shoulder before forcibly turning him around and steering him towards the floo, his teammates following them with loud cheers.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley**

Oliver and the team had visited three pubs, two bars and they'd recently arrived at a newly opened club. They were laughing, cheering and celebrating loudly and, of course, attracting the attention of both the men and women present, single and not. The team was well on their way to having a huge hangover in the morning, whereas Oliver hadn't been as free with his alcohol intake; he'd previously had three fire whiskeys, four butter beers and he was now drinking water, needing to remain sober so he could have a talk with Hermione when he returned home, and it wouldn't be long before he got annoyed with the women throwing themselves at him. His teammates, however, found it amusing and hadn't missed an opportunity to tease him relentlessly no matter how drunk they were. Oliver didn't so much mind, he'd get his revenge the next morning at training.

If he was honest, he was bored, tired, the loud music being played was giving him a headache, the smell of alcohol and sweat and the constant movement of being nudged and pushed as people brushed past him, was beginning to get on his nerves and he was looking forward to getting home to Hermione. He'd wanted to leave hours ago and had only stayed out due to the begging of his teammates, but it was getting late, he had to be at training and he _really_ wanted to go home. With that in mind, he placed his empty glass down and stood from the large booth the team occupied, only before he could leave, a leggy blonde with dark blue eyes that were heavily highlighted by makeup, stepped before him. His annoyance flared up and he was unable to keep it from showing on his face, his teammates watching and laughing uproariously.

"Hi, there," she purred, his eyes fluttering in an unattractive way. "I'm Sophie," she smiled, her hand resting against his bicep as she stepped closer, pressing herself against his chest. "Would you like to come back to my place?"

Oliver wondered if there was something wrong with the woman if she seriously thought the smile she was giving him was seductive. If anything, she looked ridiculous.

"Naw, am goin' home tae me fiancé," he replied, immediately stepping back and then moving around her, only she grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving lest he accidentally pull her over and she stepped in front of him, once again pressing herself against but a little more forcefully this time.

"Hermione Granger, right? Hmm, but you're not married yet and I can give you things that ugly swot can't," she whispered in his ear.

Oliver clenched his hands into tight fists before taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. What right did a random witch have to make such comments about Hermione? She'd likely never even met her before given that he knew Hermione rarely travelled through Diagon Alley without a Glamour or some altered features. And Oliver didn't wish to be too mean, but the woman before him wasn't exactly a pretty rose either. She wore too much makeup and her tight dress was too revealing, leaving little to the imagination and it was very unflattering for her, too.

"Me Sparrow is ten times the witch ye are; not only is she brilliantly clever, she's _beautiful_ , kind, selfless an' she'd easily best ye in a duel. Ye don' come close tae her. Yer a spark, she's the whole damn fire. Yer a kitten, she's a lioness. Yer pee-wee Quidditch, she's the World Cup. She'll _always_ be me first an' only choice," he told her, removing his arm from her grip as she stared at him in stunned silence. "Now, if ye'll excuse mae, a've a fiancé tae get home tae."

He walked away without a backwards glance, ignoring the amused but surprised stares of his teammates.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

The first place he looked was the kitchen but she wasn't there, the second place he searched was the library but that was empty, too, and when he turned towards Hermione's bedroom door, it was ajar and he could see inside. Raising his hand and wrapping his knuckles against the door, Hermione looked towards him with a smile as he pushed the door open a little further and Quaffle climbed from his dog bed, waddling over to him and barking in greeting.

"Did you have fun?" She asked, tapping a muggle pen against her knee absentmindedly.

"Wasnae tae bad, ye mind if a come in?"

With her permission, he stepped inside and kicked off his shoes before moving to sit beside Hermione on the bed and Quaffle returned to his own. She sat with her legs crossed, a number of important-looking documents spread out before her and she still grasped the muggle pen in her hand but was now tapping it against the palm of her other hand whilst he noticed she had a second muggle pen stashed in her messy bun.

"A wanted tae talk tae ye aboot somethin'," he started.

"Hmmm, just give me a second, I'm almost done," she acknowledged without taking her eyes from the document directly before her.

A few moments later, she signed her name in the appropriate placed and then gathered the documents into a neat pile before sitting them on her bedside table along with the muggle pen. She then gave him her full attention by shifting her body until she faced him and he did the same, also crossing his legs and clasping his hands together as he perched his elbows on his thighs.

He nodded and she returned to reading the document in her lap, she signed in the right places and then she picked up all the documents and contracts and put them in a pile on her

"You're not mad at me, are you?" She asked nervously and biting at her bottom lip.

"Fer keeping the fact tha' yer a natural healer from mae?" He guessed and she nodded. "Naw, am not mad at ye," he admitted. "A can understand why ye dinnae tell mae, it's the same reason ye havnae told anyone aboot the Deathly Hallows or the Elder Wand. A cannae be mad at ye fer bein' cautious or afraid. But tha's not what a wanna talk tae ye aboot."

"Alright," she frowned slightly.

"A've noticed tha' when the topic af children comes up, ye seem tae look worried or pained," he started, Hermione's body freezing and her eyes widening in panic. "There, tha's the look am talking aboot," he gestured to her with a point of his finger. "What's the matter? Are ye worried aboot having sex with mae 'coz it'll be yer first time?"

Her cheeks flamed red at his words, always finding herself amazed at his complete lack of embarrassment about such a subject.

"Oliver, that's not the problem... Well it _is_... But it's something else," she mumbled, a sigh leaving her lips when he smiled at her encouragingly.

"What is it?"

"I don't know how to tell you," she muttered, rubbing her hands over her face nervously, tiredly.

"Whatever it is a wanna know, ye can tell mae."

"I should've told you sooner so you could petition for a new match."

"It cannae be tha' bad," he assured her, she didn't look convinced.

"Okay, I'm just going to blurt it out and get it over with." He nodded and she took a deep breath before saying, "Imaynotbeabletohavechildren."

Oliver blinked slowly. "Am sorry, what?"

"I may not be able to have children, bes" she repeated slowly.

"Don' be ridiculous, yer only eighteen."

"Oliver, I'm being serious. My body's been through a _lot_ these past seven years; when I was tortured, my stomach received a lot of damage and I was stabbed, too. I was healed but warned I was likely to suffer from some after effects, one of which, can alter fertility. I may not be fertile," she whispered, her gaze falling away from him. "I'm too afraid to know the truth, I'm too afraid to visit a healer or specialist, I'd rather not know for certain."

"Ye were afraid tae tell mae," he stated, reaching out with his hand and gently clasping her chin, tilting her head back until her gaze locked with his. "Why?"

"You're a pureblood, Oliver. You are the heir to the House of Wood, you _require_ an heir to carry on the line. Even without the Marriage Law being a pain in the arse, I may not be able to give that to you."

"It's not yer fault, Sparrow. There are other options, we could always adopt."

She shook her head defiantly, tears swimming in her eyes and one broke free, sliding down her face. "If after a year of marriage I prove to be infertile, you'll be given the choice of divorcing me and getting a new match or staying married to me. If I were you, I'd petition for someone new now. You still have time before the wedding. Everyone would understand. _I_ would understand."

The expression on his face all but said she should be admitted to St. Mungo's psychiatric ward.

"Am not gunna petition fer a new match," he promised. " _If_ ye cannae have kids, a won't abandon ye."

"You should; I don't want to take the chance or opportunity of you being a father away from you. You deserve to be a father."

"Ye deserve the chance af bein' a mother even more. Like a said, we could adopt if ye wanted tae or if we have tae. Anno me parents wouldn't mind if any children we have aren't our biologically; they wouldn't love them any less," he assured her, reaching up to wipe away her fallen tears. "Am not gunna abandon ye over somethin' tha' isnae yer fault."

"Oliver, I think you're making a mistake. A big one. I've given you a viable reason for petitioning the Ministry for a new match and based on the circumstances, they're highly unlikely to refuse."

"Why do ye want mae tae have a new match so badly?" He questioned, unable to hide the hurt in his voice.

"I'm not good enough for you," she said quietly, sadly, his hurt vanishing until it was replaced with disbelief. "I'm not pretty enough; I'm covered in scars; I'm damaged. I don't want to fall for you knowing that I can't give you children, knowing that you'll resent me for it. Knowing that you'll choose to be re-matched; it would kill me. I _can't_ lose anyone else," her voice rose a little, her eyes swimming with distress and pained sorrow.

As Oliver took in her words, he could hear his own heart pounding in his chest as though it were trying to escape his ribcage, and his head went a little fuzzy as he took a deep breath.

"Hermione?" He whispered. "Are ye falling fer mae?"

Her cheeks flamed red and her eyes immediately fell downcast. He had his answer but he wanted her to say it.

"I..." She shuttered, a ragged breath sounding from her before she screwed her eyes shut tightly and nodded, refusing to look at him, missing the way his eyes lit up. "I don't understand it. We've only known each other for a few weeks. No one can truly love someone, know someone in such little time; it's not possible, it shouldn't be possible. I don't know how it happened or when it happened but you break down my defences, I feel safe and protected with you."

It was his turn to take a ragged breath.

"From the moment me parents set eyes on each other, they knew they'd get married an' they'd only ev'r love each other. They told mae tha' story ev'ryday fer as long as a can remember. Ye _can_ fall fer someone havin' known them fer years or even moments, things in the Wizarding World work differently. Me parents used tae tell mae tha' in some rare cases, a witch and wizard have been known tae be fated, it's somethin' tae do with their magic, am not entirely sure, tae be honest."

"Are you saying we may be fated to be together?"

"Naw, a dunno, maybe," he shrugged his shoulders. "According tae the Ministry, yer supposedly me perfect match. We balance each other oot an' we do get along seemingly well fer twa people who've been put in an awkward position. As soon as a climb intae bed with ye, ye calm doon from yer nightmares; ye dinnae do tha' with Fred and George. A can be meself 'round ye knowing ye won't judge mae an' ye moved in here withoot any problems. When ye healed mae a could _feel_ yer magic inside af mae, mingling with mine, coaxing mae tae get better, fer mae tae open me eyes."

"That's never happened before; I've healed a fair amount of people over the years and they've never mentioned feeling my magic healing them. They always woke with knowledge of my presence or ability."

"Am not saying tha' we _are_ one af these rare occasions, the possibility af tha' happening alone..." He trailed off. "What a am saying is tha' it's possible fer ye tae have strong feelings fer mae in such a short amount af time. So, am gunna ask ye again an' this time a want ye tae at mae." Slowly and shyly, she raised her head, her gaze locking with his as a myriad of emotions swam through them. " _Are_ ye falling in love with mae?"

"Yes," she admitted in barely a whisper.

His eyes lit up and his mouth pulled into a smile as he closed the distance between them, lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers. His tongue darted out to seek entrance past her lips and she granted it, their kiss being languid and tender but no less passionate or powerful. Hermione wound her hand into his hair, tugging on the soft strands before she used the other to grip at his shirt, tugging him towards her as she fell back onto the mattress, pulling him over her until he supported himself on his elbows and when Oliver drew back from her and opened his eyes, she was already watching him.

"Am falling fer ye an' trust mae when a say it wasnae difficult," he confessed. "Am not above ye, am not superior in any way, if a'thing, it's _mae_ tha's not good enough fer _ye_. Yer beautiful an' powerful, intelligent an' kind. Yer've a doonright terrifying temper, yer protective an' supportive af yer family an' yer one af the most selfless people a've ev'r met. Ye'll make an amazing mother whether we adopt or have biological kids. A've seen the way ye are with the twins an' Leo. It's in yer nature tae make sure everyone is taken care af. But it's me turn now. It's me turn tae protect ye an' make sure yer safe. Tae make sure yer eating an' tha' yer putting on weight until ye reach the goal set. Tae make sure ye stay away from yer allergies an' tae comfort ye when ye have nightmares an' when ye need it. An' whatever side effects or trauma yer dealing, a'll help ye with it. A promise, Hermione, a'll not abandon ye."

"You don't know that; you may feel differently in a year if I can't get pregnant. My parents left me. Harry, Ron and Ginny left me. What's stopping you from leaving, too?" She looked vulnerable and frightened and it was an expression he'd never thought he'd see on her face.

"Believe it or not, am grateful tae the Ministry fer pairing mae with ye. If a hadn't have met ye, me life would be very different, it'd revolve 'round Quidditch, drinking an' one night stands," he trailed off into a chuckle when she glared at him. "But now tha' yer've become a part af me life, a laugh more, a enjoy life an' a have someone tae come home tae. A've always been adamant tha' a wouldn't marry until after me Quidditch career was over, but tha' changed when a met ye. Granted, a might've wanted tae date first an' wait a few years, but tha's beside the point. Yer've given mae a family, albeit consisting af three goldfish an' a dog..." She gave a watery laugh. "But it's a start. The team havnae shut up aboot the fact a smile more than a used tae an' it unnerves them." She laughed again and reached up to wipe a fallen tear from her face. "But the point is, am thankful fer meeting ye an' fer having ye in me life."

"You can be really sweet when you want to be," she said quietly, her cheeks tinting pink.

"Don' tell anyone, the team would never let mae live it doon," he replied.

"I'm grateful that I was matched with you, too," she admitted, seeing his smile widen. "You push me to do the things I'm afraid to do and thanks to you, I've told others about what happened to my parents, and I think I should come clean to everyone before the wedding. Will you be there when I do it?"

"Couldn't keep mae away, when do ye wanna do it?"

"Saturday night, maybe. We can invite everyone over for dinner and I'll cook."

"Are ye gunna tell them aboot Horcruxes, yer natural healing or the Deathly Hallows?"

"I'll tell them about my natural healing but not the others, not in detail anyway."

"Am proud af ye."

She smiled at him. "I'm proud of you, too, you did well today, even if your stupid arse did get knocked off your broom," she teased and he chuckled at her. "Promise me you'll be more careful," her voice quieted and her eyes creased with worry.

"A'll do me best but a cannae guarantee it."

"I know," she sighed.

"Well, it's a good thing me fiancé's a natural healer," he chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "And now tha' we're bein' honest, is there somethin' ye havnae told mae?"

"There are a few things," she muttered, her fingers fiddling with one of the buttons on his shirt absentmindedly.

"Let's get it oot in the open. If this is gunna work we cannae have any secrets between us."

She nodded slowly and lifted her gaze to his. "So, what I'm going to tell you, the twins know about but no one else does, not even Harry and Ron." He perked up at the news. "So during my third year, when Remus turned during the full moon without taking his potion, he targeted us and unfortunately, I was scratched on the back of my neck. Harry and Ron got away unscathed." His eyes widened slightly at the implication behind her words. "I'm _not_ a werewolf, the scratch wasn't deep enough but it has affected me to a certain degree."

"Hoo?" He asked intrigued.

"When it's a full moon, I tend to be agitated, moody and snappy, generally just in a bad mood. Given we've lived together only a week, you haven't witnessed it yet but the twins have. They found it amusing and would purposefully irritate me until one of them got hexed and then they left me alone." He snorted, not in the least bit surprised. "I'm kind of in the same situation as Bill, except I've been dealing with it longer than he has, he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback three years after I was caught by Remus. I'll likely be more lethargic or have more energy altogether, it depends on the night. And I'm quite territorial, too, especially with my food. But that's not it..."

Hermione blushed furiously and at the sight, Oliver couldn't wait for the next bit of information she was about to reveal, considering the reaction he was witnessing.

"Now, Sparrow, don' keep secrets."

She scowled at him before she averted her gaze elsewhere "When we...Well, when we..." She cleared her throat. "You know..."

"Have sex?" he supplied amused, especially giving the position they were in with Oliver still hovering above her supporting himself on his elbows. Embarrassed, she hit him on the chest and he laughed at her.

"Yes, when that happens, I may well...I may bite you." His eyebrows rose so high they almost disappeared into his hairline. "I won't pass on any of the qualities that I have, you won't become a werewolf and I shouldn't draw blood either. I'll just have the urge to mark you like a werewolf would."

If he was honest, he found it all amusing; she'd be so territorial over him that she'd mark him. Mind, he'd marked her with a love bite the day before and it seemed she still hadn't noticed.

"Hoo often would it happen?"

"I don't know. Maybe once, maybe every time, maybe when I get territorial around the full moon," she shrugged her shoulders. "You're not angry?"

"Naw," he snorted. "Firstly, it wouldn't be yer fault if ye did an' secondly, a think the whole thing's rather funny." He looked far too pleased with himself so she rolled her eyes.

"Just you wait, when my cycle and the full moon match-up, you're screwed."

He tilted his head slightly. "Cycle?" He questioned. She raised an eyebrow and catching onto her meaning, his complexion paled a little. "Oh right, _tha'_ cycle. A'll jus' avoid ye fer a few days," he nodded, certain of his decision and she snorted at him. "When's the next full moon?"

"8th August, so there's a while to go yet, you don't have to worry."

He nodded. "A'thing else ye havnae told mae?"

"Well, there's one more thing and only Fred and George know about this. I never told Harry or Ron."

His expression morphed into confusion when she pushed at his chest, signalling for him to let her up, and when he moved out of the way, she climbed from the bed. With a smile on her face, she slowly leaned forward and before her hands touched the floor, her body transformed into that of a lioness, right before his wide eyes. Quaffle was unaffected by the change as he'd witnessed it before, as well as the fact he could sense the lioness was his owner.

Oliver stared in surprised wonder as the lioness jumped onto the bed and sat in front of him, Oliver never realising how large the big cat actually was until it was sat right before him. He slowly lifted his hand and the lioness nuzzled her face against it before she changed back into Hermione.

"Whoa," he muttered. "Yer an Animagus."

She nodded. "Since my fifth year; I was curious about the process, and whether or not I could do it. I haven't always been a lioness, I used to be an otter, but when my Patronus changed, my Animagus form did, too. The twins got the shock of their lives when they found a lioness in their living room." Oliver laughed at her too pleased grin. "I'd intended to turn into an otter so I could prank them but the lioness worked just as well, better even."

"A bet it did," he snorted. "Are ye registered?"

"No, I was underage when I first transformed and the war was officially made public before the Ministry was under Voldemort's control. It was safer for me to keep it a secret; I could escape without anyone knowing if I had to."

"Why dinnae ye transform when ye were taken tae Malfoy Manor?"

"I couldn't; I physically couldn't. I was in too much pain to focus and I was weakened by injury. It requires a lot of magical energy and concentration to transform, otherwise, there's a risk of hurting yourself, similar to apparition and splinching."

"Okay, is there a'thing else, or is tha' it?"

"Well, when a witch or wizard becomes an Animagus, they tend to take on some of the traits of their animal form. Lionesses and lions are predators and they hunt. They have enhanced senses to help them in their survival, as a result, I've have taken on a few of them. For instance, my sight and hearing are better than yours, an average human's. And given that lions are territorial, combine that with the wolf traits I picked up, I'll likely be twice as territorial, double of what Bill would be over Fleur."

"A feel sorry fer the poor sod tha' tries it on with mae," Oliver snorted and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Is tha' ev'rything?"

"I think so," she nodded.

"If ye think af somethin' else?"

"I'll tell you," she promised.

"Good, now tha' ev'rything's oot in the open, when can a see yer scars?"

She scowled. "Not yet, and I don't care if you'll see them on our wedding night, I don't want you to see them now. You should've seen the look on the woman's face when she was helping me change into potential wedding dresses. She looked horrified."

"Anno what ye went through, anno why ye have those scars." She shrugged, not backing down. "Hoo aboot we take it one scar at a time? A'll show ye a scar tha' I have an' then ye show me any scar ye want to," he offered up and he could tell by the thoughtful look on her face that she was mulling over his suggestion.

She sighed in defeat. "See what I mean? You're always pushing me to do things I'm afraid of. Fine, but just one, you go first," she conceded.

Silently, he reached down and lifted the left side of his button-down shirt, revealing a horizontal scar the size of an index finger.

"What caused it?" She questioned, slowly reached up and tracing it with her finger, Oliver shifting a little under her tender touch.

"Me first week at Puddlemere, during practice a faulty bludger exploded an' shrapnel hit mae," he shrugged before lowering his shift back down to his side when she drew back.

Feeling nervous, Hermione shifted until her legs were tucked beneath her and she sat back on her haunches. Taking a breath, she fiddled with the edge of her jersey before slowly lifting it to show just below her ribs. In-between her ribs and bellybutton and towards the left side of her stomach, she had a long horizontal line, similar to Oliver's only slightly bigger and it wasn't as faded. It was barely three months old but with the help of magic, it didn't look so recent.

"What happened?" He asked and then he mimicked her earlier actions and traced a finger over the scar, Hermione sucking in a lungful of oxygen.

"When I was stabbed," she answered in as few words as possible before lowering the jersey back down.

"See, tha' wisnae so hard an' we'll slowly build up tae ye showing mae them all."

Her expression was one of both fear and disbelief so he reached out and pulled her towards him, hugging her gently.

"It'll be okay," he assured her.

To get more comfortable, he laid down on the mattress with Hermione tucked into his side, falling into a comfortable silence.

A while later, a thought entered his mind that had a smirk pulling at his mouth and Oliver peered down at Hermione, tugging on the edge of the jersey she wore.

"By the way, _love_ the jersey," he commented.

She looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks. "I forgot to buy one for the match and by the time I remembered, I didn't have time, so I borrowed one of yours. I didn't think you'd mind but if it bothers you then I won't do it again. I didn't go into your room, I ran into Tillie when she was gathering the laundry and she gave it to mae," she rambled nervously, ignoring his amused expression. "Sorry, won't do it again," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Actually, a think ye should wear me jersey _all_ the time," he smirked, snorting at her look of disbelief. "What? It looks better on ye than it does mae. Besides, the team's jealous."

"Why?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Yer wearing me jersey. Their partners wouldn't an' won't wear their jerseys, apparently it isnae ladylike. They'd kill tae have them do it."

Hermione snorted. "It's also not ladylike to show certain attributes to the world." He laughed at her. "Anyway, they're really comfortable; it's why I always wear the twins," she shrugged.

"Well, ye won't be wearing their jerseys anymore."

Hermione pulled away from him, propping herself up on her elbow. "Are you jealous?"

"Naw," he scoffed.

"So _why_ won't I be wearing the twin's jerseys?"

"It isnae right fer an engaged witch tae wear another man's jersey," he defended.

"Even if it's my brother's?" She arched an eyebrow in amusement and he scowled at her.

"A cannae believe ye put Quaffle in a Quidditch jersey."

She grinned at him. "He looked adorable, didn't he? And don't say you didn't appreciate it because I _know_ you did." He chuckled at her. "Have you eaten, yet?" He shook his head. "Well, no matter the time, I made dinner, so let's go."

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Thursday 16th July 1998**

As Hermione and Oliver made their way down the corridors and towards the pitch with Quaffle by their side, he helped her carry some of the contracts and documents she'd been reading over the night before. Seeing the number of documents had made Oliver's eyes widen; he'd thought he had a lot of reading to do when he went over his contract, but Hermione took the biscuit.

"Hey, Junior Coach," the team chorused as one as they slowly approached the gathered team and Coach Burton.

"Looking good," Wilks winked at her, a blush flooding her cheeks in response and Oliver furiously glared at Wilks, much to the team's amusement.

That day was one of the warmest they'd had yet and not wanting to be too warm, even with the aid of Cooling Charm, and wanting to be comfortable as she'd be spending a lot of time outdoors and on her feet, she'd opted for comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing. A grey thin hooded tracksuit jacket, a black v-neck spaghetti strap top, black high waisted shorts and white converse, whilst she'd pulled her hair into a messy bun and secured it with her wand.

"Don't call me that, it sounds funny," she grimaced.

Seeing the smirks and looks that were exchanged, Oliver spoke up. "A wouldn't do it if I were ye, as Junior Coach she has access tae yer files an' then she'll know where ye live. If ye don' want tae be checking yer homes three times a day fer joke products, then I suggest ye keep yer mouths closed. Ye all saw what she did tae Malloy an' Wilks' girlfriends, imagine what she'd do tae ye."

As one, the team glanced towards Hermione, a shiver running through each of them when she nodded and smirked.

"Right, now that's over, where do you want these?" Hermione asked Coach Burton, nodding to the pile of paperwork, which he quickly banished to his office to be filed away.

"Let's get to training. So, Junior, what are we doing today?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "You're the Coach, you tell me."

"We need to knock them into shape and you're the only one who can do that. You've got a fresh set of eyes, a new perspective, and you're a lot younger than me, you have the energy to deal with these idiots, I don't."

He gave her a gentle shove until she stood before him and faced the team, all of who shared a silent chuckle at her surprised expression.

Clearing her throat and giving her head a shake, she said, "Well then, we'll take it easy today since you all look like you've been to hell and back _and_ run over by the Hogwarts Express at the same time. You all have different weaknesses, so we can either work on them as a team or you can do it separately, which would you prefer?" She asked, giving them the option but they merely shrugged their shoulders which she responded to with a huff. "I'm giving you a choice and you're throwing it away?" They shrugged once more, clearly being too hungover to care. Annoyed, she looked at Oliver expectantly as he was the Team Captain.

"As a team," he answered, rolling his eyes at the behaviour of his teammates.

"Very well, today I think it would be best if you continue with the drills from yesterday. I need some time to get everything I need before giving you a different programme, which I'll sort out tonight. So, starting players, get to work whilst I talk with the reserves so I may tell them what they need to do." They didn't move, simply stared at her. "Well, what are you waiting for? You don't get paid to stand there looking like lemons, hop to it," she clapped her hands and then shooed them away. They listened, mounting their brooms and taking flight, looking back at her over their shoulders in amusement.

Happy they were doing as told, she turned her attention to the reserves, speaking with each of them about what they needed to improve on. The rest of the morning went by fairly quickly and when lunch was called, Hermione distributed the food she'd made that morning before training resumed until they hit the end of the day.

"How is everyone?" Hermione asked once they'd dismounted their brooms and gathered before her for their last talk of the day before they each went home.

"Fine, you're not as ruthless as I thought you'd be," Malloy commented.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"

"Training was easy," he replied, both his tone and smile were smug.

"Well, don't get used to it, you were clearly hungover and I didn't want you to injure yourselves. Plus, I don't have everything I need yet for what I want you to do, but I'm going to tend to that tonight whilst you are robe shopping with Oliver. I'm warning you now, tomorrow will be more...Challenging, I promise," she grinned evilly.

Oliver eyed her carefully; something didn't seem right. But when he saw the evil grin she gave, he knew they were in for trouble. He was beginning to learn what different expressions meant and he had seen that evil grin once before; when she was speaking of getting revenge on Rita Skeeter and whatever she had planned wouldn't bode well for the team. That he was sure of and he'd bet his entire fortune on it.

"Let's get goin'," Oliver interrupted, Hermione giving him a knowingly smile. It was far too sweet.

"What? Why? We're chatting with your lovely soon to be wife," Bishop all but pouted.

"Nope, we're leaving," he ordered, gesturing to the stands with a tip of his head. Once the team were gone, he stayed behind to speak with Hermione in private. "What are ye gunna do whilst am gone?"

"I'm going to get the things I need for tomorrow."

"It's gunna hurt, isnae it?"

"What makes you say that?"

"A saw the look on yer face."

She grinned. "Yes, it's going to hurt," she confirmed. He groaned. "Now, off you go, you have to go robe shopping and you don't have long before closing hours."

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London**

Oliver had decided that he wanted to try shopping in Muggle London first and luckily there was more than one Half-blood on the team who'd been raised in the Muggle World, and they took the lead with navigating the streets. After a quick trip to Gringotts and getting some money changed over they headed into Muggle London, dressed in simple shirts and jeans allowing them to blend in.

It hadn't taken long to reach their destination and they were now searching for suits for the weddings, some of the team and his father had decided to wear muggle suits and the others had opted for wizarding robes so they planned on heading to Diagon Alley once they were done in Muggle London.

Oliver stood in the middle of the tailors, his eyes and mind taking in every display in surprise, not knowing where to look. Every wall was lined with clothing racks filled with suits, shirts and shoes, and there was a whole section dedicated to socks and ties.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" A middle-aged man with greying hair and green eyes asked as he walked over to the large group.

"Our buddy, Oliver, is getting married," Pallie said, clapping Oliver on the shoulder, bringing attention to him and Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I'm guessing you're the best man," the man replied with a knowing chuckle.

"That I am," Pallie beamed. "I was his best and the most obvious option," he said arrogantly, a series of scoffs and coughed insults sounding behind him. He threw a scowl over his shoulder at them and the man chuckled at them.

"And you must be the father of the groom," he commented, reaching out to shake Mr. Wood's hand.

"Tha's mae," he nodded.

"I'm Jimmy; I'll be your helper today. Now, when's the big day?"

"Fourteen days," Oliver replied, Jimmy's eyes widening comically at his answer.

"We had better get to work then, there's no time to waste when we're on such a tight schedule. What are you looking for?" He asked. Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "What designer? Do you want a waistcoat? A tie or bow tie? What material? Tailcoat or waist length? Handmade and tailored or bought from the rack?" Oliver shrugged once more, Jimmy sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "For the love of Ralph Lauren," he muttered.

Pallie looked at Oliver. "Who?" He mouthed, with Oliver shrugging his shoulders, having no idea.

"Versace would be rolling in his grave!"

"Who?" Pallie mouthed once more.

"That's fine, we can work that. What colour do you want?"

"The colour scheme is white and blue."

"Ah, so you _do_ know something, brilliant!" He exclaimed, seeming to have a new spark of life and the team chuckled.

"Ye seem tae know what yer doin', a leave meself in yer hands," said Oliver.

"Wonderful, at least we'll get something done," with that, Jimmy spun on his heel and marched about the room like a man on a mission, pulling items from the racks whilst they others snorted at him and then milled around in search of their own suits.

"So, have you and the lovely Junior Coach gotten any closer lately?" Malloy asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Oliver sent him a baleful glare. "Like a said befere, tha's none af yer business."

"I'll take that as a no. What's taking you so long?"

"A told ye, the situation we're in isnae exactly normal, is it? A don' want tae cross any boundaries an' Hermione isnae the type af person tae jus' sleep with mae. A few weeks ago we were strangers an' now we're bein' forced tae marry."

"Why not? You're Oliver Wood! You can get any girl you want into your bed and she already _lives_ with you. Imagine what she would look like naked! Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. I bet she looks amazing!" He taunted and it was working. The others could clearly see that Oliver was close to knocking Malloy on his arse. "Anyway, I don't see why it matters, Melanie would sleep with you," he shrugged.

"Hermione's not Melanie. She's vicious, insufferable an' she'd sleep with a'thing tha' has a pulse. An' don' _ev'r_ speak aboot Hermione in tha' way again," he warned with a cold and dangerous tone.

"She's not _that_ bad," Malloy argued.

"She's tried it on with everyone on the team," Oliver argued. Malloy looked to his teammates questioningly, each of them nodding in confirmation to Oliver's statement and giving him a sheepish, almost guilty expression. "Hermione'd never do tha' an' if ye ev'r bring it up again..."

"Okay, Malloy, shut up. Oliver, calm doon," Mr. Wood intervened, stepping between the two squabbling men.

"You love her, don't you?" Pallie said, cocking his head to the side.

"What?" Oliver blinked slowly and Pallie gave him a knowing look.

"I said you, love her."

Without responding, Oliver turned his back to them and headed to the changing rooms after Jimmy had beckoned him over with an armful of items. After trying on what felt like a hundred suits, Oliver settled on one. It was navy-blue Vitale with a waist-length jacket and a navy-blue waistcoat. With it, came a brilliant white shirt and a blue tie he'd later have his mother charm to match the colour of the flowers, and it was finished with brown dress shoes.

After assuring Jimmy that he knew someone who could alter the suit for him, he and the others paid for their purchases and then left for Diagon Alley.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley**

He'd barely set foot in Madam Malkin's before the older woman was stood before him.

"Mr. Wood, what can I do for you?" She asked excitedly, seeing the chance to make plenty of galleons before closing for the day. She was glad she'd extended her opening hours until the mess that was the Marriage Law calmed with all possible matches marrying.

"Some af me teammates require robes fer me wedding, but a have somethin' else tha' requires me attention," Oliver responded, ignoring the questioning looks from his father and team. When Malkin turned her eyes to them, Oliver took the opportunity to slip out of the shop and travel further down the cobblestone alley towards the wizarding jewellers. He entered the building, the little bell above the door jingling, alerting the owner to his presence

When the owner emerged from the back room, his eyes widened and he hurried forward to the squared 'U' shaped glass counter that housed every piece of jewellery with every metal and jewel you could possibly think of.

"Mr. Wood? What can I do for you?"

"A wish tae look at yer collection af engagement rings," he answered after crossing the room and stopping before the counter, seeing the old man's eyes light up.

"Of course, of course, this way," he gestured for him to follow him with an excited wave of his hands and he walked along the length of the glass counter until they were both stood on the right side that housed the engagement and wedding jewellery.

"I'm to assume you're looking for something for Miss Granger?" He questioned and Oliver nodded silently. "I thought it wasn't a requirement of the law."

"It's not, but Hermione deserves a proper engagement an' not a forced one. She doesn't care fer material possessions but she's gettin' a ring whether she likes it or not."

"Do you have a price range in mind?"

"A don' have a set budget. A jus' don' want somethin' tha' is far tae ostentatious or big. A little's okay but knowing Hermione, she'll make mae bring it back if it's tae flashy" Oliver said distractedly as he peered down at the pieces. If it was at all possible, the owner's eyes would've lit up more and his smile must surely be hurting his face.

"We have several options. For the metal we offer platinum, rose gold, yellow gold, white gold and silver. We also have different cuts with princess, pear, emerald, asscher, round, radiant, marquise, heart, oval and cushion. As for the gemstones, we have available sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, rubies, aquamarines, topazes, opals, onyxes, pearls, garnets and tanzanites."

"Tanzanite?" He questioned curiously, the only gemstone he hadn't heard of.

"Tanzanite is a rare gemstone that was discovered in the sixties and it's one thousand times rarer than diamonds, particularly with its rare blue-purple colour," he explained, pointing out the only engagement ring with the gemstone.

Looking down at the showcase, Oliver's expression was one of cluelessness and overwhelm, amusing the old man.

"First things first, you want to choose the metal."

"Right, a dunno... White gold?"

"Next we should look at the gemstones, depending on how you want the ring to appear, we can have one made for you and you can pick it up in a few days if you don't wish to purchase any of the pieces currently on show."

Oliver thought it over; having one made instead of buying one definitely had its merits.

"Am leaning towards having one made," once more peering down into the showcase and seeing that in the sea of gems and metal, none of them jumped out at him.

"Excellent choice, it's more meaningful and you can design the ring to your liking, allowing for a personal touch and ensuring it is a one of a kind piece. We have the base of white gold, so we must discuss the gemstone, of which, each has a different meaning..." He started, quickly summarising each gemstone for him.

"Can a have more than one gemstone?"

"Of course, Mr. Wood, we offer trilogy rings which consist of three stones, usually either one or two different gemstones with one large centre stone and two side complementary stones."

"From what ye said af the meanings, a'd like tae use three gemstones if tha's possible. Tanzanite, ruby an' diamond."

"And how would you like to incorporate them? Any preference on the cut of the stones?"

Oliver frowned slightly, his teeth tugging at his lip in thought. "A heart-shaped ruby as the centrepiece, twa round diamonds, one on either side an' tanzanite embedded in the band."

"Completely or halfway?"

"Halfway," he nodded.

"I'll quickly draw up a design for you and we'll make any changes accordingly afterwards."

The old man completed a quick sketch of the possible finished product, turning the parchment towards Oliver.

"Tha's perfect," Oliver said proudly.

"I forgot to say, tanzanite is a transmutation stone which means it will change colour. It will start as a lilac-blue before turning to a sapphire-blue and finally settling on a deep violet-blue." Oliver nodded with a small smile; Hermione would like that. "What carat gold do you wish for?"

Oliver shrugged and then looked at the chart on the wall helplessly. "Eighteen?"

The old man nodded and made a note of it. "As tanzanite is such a rare stone, I'll have to correspond with my contacts in order to have some sent here. You can pick the ring up after twelve o'clock on Monday afternoon."

"Monday? Really?" He questioned in surprise, having thought he'd have to wait much longer.

"Yes, Mr. Wood, we only offer the best services here," the owner said proudly. "To recap, we have an eighteen-carat white gold band trilogy ring, with a heart-shaped ruby and two round diamonds and tanzanite embedded halfway around the band. Is that all?"

Oliver nodded in confirmation, signed off on the design and thanked the old man before leaving the building with a smile on his face. He made a quick detour to Diagon Alley, purchased a few books for Hermione and had then sent to the apartment before he returned to Madam Malkin's.

"Where've ye been? Yer've been gone over an hour," his father asked.

"A jus' had some errands tae run," he replied casually and his dad gave him a look that told him he didn't believe a word he was saying, but he let it be. "Everyone's gotten what they needed an' are aboot ready tae leave."

"Hey, Wood, I've been thinking," Thompson called from the other side of the shop.

"Tha's dangerous," Oliver muttered, remembering Hermione had said the same words to him not long back.

"When are we gunna be invited to see your apartment?"

"Yer not; a don' want ye knowing where a live. A have tae put up with ye at work; a don' want ye turning up at me apartment when ye feel like it."

"What? Come on," he whined before a smirk found it's way onto his face. "I bet the future Mrs. Wood would invite us over."

Oliver snorted. "A doubt she will, she likes her privacy seeing as she has less af it than a do an' tha's sayin' somethin'."

"I'll persuade her," he said confidently.

"Ye can try, but Hermione Granger's the most stubborn person a've ev'r met."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 16

**Puddlemere Stadium - Friday 17th July 1998**

"Right, everyone, are you ready to start training?" Hermione asked.

"'Course, how hard could it be?" Malloy replied, his expression filled with arrogance as he smirked at her and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hermione's eyebrow cocked in challenge and her mouth twitched, fighting off both a smirk and a laugh.

"It's _really_ gunna hurt, isnae it?" Oliver questioned.

"Yep," she popped the 'P'.

"A lot?"

"Yep,"

"Do we have tae do it?" He winced.

"Yes, but don't blame me. They're the ones," she gestured to his teammates with a wave of her hand, "That wanted something more challenging. Now, as you know, I'm a Muggleborn and today we'll be doing something that's used in the Muggle World to build up stamina and fitness. I'm not going to lie, by the time you're done today you'll be crawling up the stands."

Hermione brandished her wand before giving it a lazy flick, removing the Disillusionment Charm, every pair of eyes staring at the revealed contents in confusion.

"I don't get it," Pallie frowned.

"It's an obstacle course," Hermione grinned, looking far too pleased with herself which resulted with Couch Burton raising an amused but questioning eyebrow. "First, I'll demonstrate and then it's your turn. The goal for today is to complete ten laps of the course which is to be followed by thirty minutes of drills, followed by another ten laps of the course. After lunch another ten laps should be completed, followed by an hour of drills, ten laps of the pitch on foot, thirty laps on your brooms, thirty minutes of drills and fifteen laps of the course. If all of this is completed and you're still alive, you can go home early," she smiled innocently. Each member of the team stared in surprise, slowly blinking with their mouths slightly parted whilst Coach Burton blinked once before promptly falling into a fit of laughter.

"That's brilliant!" He happily praised. "Hiring you is the best decision I've ever made," Coach Burton said proudly. "That's far worse than anything I would've ever given them," he gave her a look of pride and she grinned at him.

"Malloy's the one that wanted me to be more ruthless," she shrugged. "Let's get to work, we don't have all day."

She crossed over to the previously set up equipment and stopped at the tape that marked the start of the obstacle course. Taking a breath and pushing her hair out of her face, she began by jumping through the tyres, balancing on benches, jumping with skipping rope, hula hooping, kicking footballs into a net, doing jumping jacks, press-ups and pull-ups, jumping over the makeshift hurdles and ducking beneath them, crawling under a net, running between cones, hitting four balls with a baseball bat, running around the circuit and then returning back to the line of tape.

They stared in surprise as she turned to face them, looking completely fine aside from a slight change in her breathing and a pink tint to her cheeks.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Get to work, and remember, ten laps," she clapped her hands, signalling for them to get a move on.

Hermione crossed over to Coach Burton and stood beside him, watching as the team reluctantly trudged over to the obstacle course, Pallie being _nominated_ to go first.

"Hey, Wood, at least we know your lovely future wife's got great stamina," Malloy said with a wink and before Oliver could lunge for him, Malloy took off on the obstacle course laughing loudly.

"Why does Oliver look like he wants to kill Malloy?" Hermione asked Coach Burton.

"Because it's Malloy," he shrugged his shoulders, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket and looking unconcerned and unsurprised. "You'll want to kill him by the end of the week, too."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

By the end of the day, Hermione felt incredibly guilty. Not for the team but for Oliver. She'd wince every time Oliver groaned in pain and that evening he literally crawled out of the floo and into the apartment. After Hermione opened the balcony door for Quaffle, she crossed over to Oliver and crouched down beside him as he laid sprawled on his back on the cool marble floor.

It was her job to get the team fit and into fighting shape, ready for the matches that were heading their way, ready to compete for the League Cup, but they weren't expected to just compete, they were expected to win. Hermione'd only been doing her job by giving them the training regime she had that day, but admittedly, she should've given them something a little bit easier, she should've eased them into this new form of training and exercise, something they'd never experienced or encountered before. But she'd let the team's comments and assumptions get to her and had purposely made it challenging, poor Oliver getting stuck in the middle.

"I'm really sorry, I feel awful."

"Don' worry aboot it, Sparrow," he muttered, waving his hand dismissively before he groaned in pain, regretting the action.

"Seriously, Oliver, I feel terrible. I won't make you do an obstacle course again."

He turned his head towards her, seeing her guilt-ridden expression.

"Sparrow, it's fine, it's yer job tae whip our arses intae shape an' after taday, tha's what yer doin'."

"Take a bath and afterwards I'll do what I can to help with the aches and soreness."

"Why do a have tae take a bath?"

"The hot water will help to relax and soothe your muscles. Whilst you're doing that, I'll make dinner. I've got something that will help you, so go on. Get crawling."

He chuckled before he groaned in pain when it hurt his chest and he slowly rolled over and pushed himself onto his hands and knees, crawling to his bedroom. Hermione made quick work of preparing a stir fry and after setting it with a Stasis Charm, she headed for her bedroom.

When Oliver made an appearance and knocked on her bedroom door, she'd been busy rummaging through her chest of drawers. She looked over her shoulder with a smile her face before she spun to face forward, a blush covering her cheeks. Oliver's mouth tugged in amusement, his hair was damp and he was clad in only a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms. He found her reaction to seeing him shirtless amusing and since she'd moved in he always wore a shirt around her, otherwise, she'd get flustered and yell at him, at which he would laugh and she'd threaten to hex him.

"D'ye want mae tae put a shirt on?" He asked teasingly.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Umm, no that's fine. You'd just have to take it off again," she replied, her back to him and he raised an eyebrow at her statement but didn't comment. "Just sit on the bed for me and I'll be right with you."

Once she'd found what she was looking for she made a sound of triumph and crossed over to the bed, climbing up onto the mattress until she kneeled behind Oliver as he perched on the end of the bed. He looked over his shoulder with a questioning look, seeing her blush being darker than it was before. She motioned for him to face forward with a swivel of her finger and he chuckled at her reaction whilst she busied herself with removing the lid from the tub of cream in her hand. After putting it off to one side, she rubbed her hands together to warm them up and then she gathered a decent amount of the lavender smelling cream and partially rubbed it into her hands.

"So, Sparrow, hoo are ye gunna help mae?"

Hermione's answer was to imagine that Oliver was one of the twins, who she was completely comfortable around, and she settled her hands against his shoulders, kneading and massaging the muscles.

"Never mind," he sighed.

Hermione's hands tended to the sore muscles of his neck, shoulders and back before she moved to his muscled arms, soft hands and slightly calloused fingertips.

"I really am sorry."

"Sparrow, yer've apologised more than once an' if ye do it again a'll set Quaffle on ye. Yer doin' yer job, if we weren't full af aches an' pains then we weren't training hard enough."

Hermione's mouth pulled into a smile and her blush at his shirtless chest had long since disappeared. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Aye, never would've thought ye tried tae kill mae taday," he teased and she scowled at the back of his head. "What is tha' stuff?" He gestured to the tub of cream Hermione was screwing the lid back onto.

"It's just cream, I created it not long back to help ease soreness in the body. I might be a natural healer and I can heal injuries, but soreness will likely be felt for another day or so, depending on the injury," she answered, climbing from the bed to set the tub on the chest of drawers and then moving to sit beside him.

"Well, yer've now seen all me scars, do ye think ye can show mae another af yers?" He asked. She looked hesitant, anxious, and yet she nodded uncertainly. "A've seen one an' it dinnae scare mae away, a think a can handle seein' them all."

Biting her lip, she shifted until her back was to him and slowly lifted the hem of her clothing, revealed to him her bare back. Oliver's eyes took in the dozen small scars that were scattered around the small of her back.

"What are they from?" He queried, his hand reaching out to trace the little scars, the action sending a shiver down her smile and his mouth twitched at the response to his touch.

"When I pushed Harry out of the window, I landed on some glass," she shrugged before dropping her clothing, hiding her scars from view and turning to face him.

"Did it hurt?"

"I didn't notice it at first, we were too busy trying to escape the trap we'd walked into, but afterwards Harry had to pull the glass out and it wasn't exactly painless."

"Will ye show mae another scar, we can keep building up the amount?"

"I just showed you over a dozen," she argued.

"Doesn't count, they were all caused by the same thing," he rebutted.

Seeing his hopeful and encouraging expression, her eyes darted to her hands before she released a shaky breath and lifted her left hand to her right shoulder. Pushing her clothing and bra strap aside, she revealed a faint, almost unnoticeable circular-shaped scar on the front of her shoulder.

"It's from my first year, received it when I was being squeezed to death by Devil's Snare. There's two types, one of them is rarer and has sharp thorns. The one used to deter thieves had thorns and it got stuck in my shoulder. Harry had to yank it out, I almost fainted at the pain it caused."

Oliver briefly traced it with the tip of his finger before drawing back. "One more?" He asked, giving her a cheeky smile.

"You're trying to see how far you can push me, aren't you?" She muttered and he nodded without remorse.

Sighing, she lifted her clothing to reveal the right side of her stomach which held several small scars similar to the ones on the small of her back.

"They're from the battle in my sixth year, when I landed on the shards of glass." She dropped her clothing, her expression downtrodden and seeing the toll his requests were taking on her but she'd still agreed to them, had a smile pulling at his face.

"Am proud af ye," he told her, a small smile finding its way onto her face. "If we keep goin' the way we are, a'll have seen all af yer scars befere we know it."

"I doubt it, those scars aren't the ones that affect me, well they _do_ , but only to some extent. They're easier to forget about."

"So which ones are the worst?"

"The one of my left arm and the one on my back are the worst ones."

He nodded and let the subject drop, feeling as though he'd pushed her far enough for the day. "A have a question."

"Go on then," she sighed, flopping onto her back beside him.

"The rules ye told mae aboot, the ones tae survive life with Hermione Granger."

"What about them?"

"Ye havnae told mae anymore an' a only know rule number three. Never eat yer digestive biscuits unless a have permission."

"You remembered?" She questioned in surprise.

"After ye told mae what ye did tae George, ye better believe a remembered," he snorted.

"You want to know more rules?" She concluded and he nodded. "Okay, I have about sixty so far. The further down the list you get, the newer the rules are. Pick a number and I'll tell you the rule that coincides with that number. I think I'll allow you five today."

"Hoo very generous af ye," he teased before laying down beside her on his side, supporting his head with his propped up elbow and hand as he faced her. "Twenty?"

"Rule twenty is give a second chance but never a third or fourth. If someone's betrayed your trust or hurt you twice, they'll do it again and again. I learned that the hard way."

It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about and Oliver quickly changed the subject before she had the chance to fall into a pool of sadness and betrayal.

"Ten?"

"Rule ten is only make a promise if you can keep it. You can hurt people by letting them down. My parents worked a lot and they always promised to leave work early or take days off so we could spend time together, but they never did and I remember always being heartbroken and disappointed."

"Forty?"

"Rule forty is if you think someone's out to get you, they probably are." He arched a questioning. "Voldemort was out for Harry and Dumbledore and Bellatrix had it out for me. Hell, Skeeter has it out for me, but that's okay because the feeling's mutual."

He snorted, giving his head a shake. "Four?"

"Rule four is always trust your instincts, they'll save your life," she answered. He didn't doubt she knew what she was talking about when it came to listening to your instincts. "Last one," she reminded him.

"Twenty-eight?"

"Rules are in place for a reason but don't be afraid to break the stupid ones."

He laughed at her. "So, what rules _can_ be broken?"

"Well, rules regarding safety and well-being should always be followed but some rules are absurd. When Umbridge was headmistress at Hogwarts, for instance; she had a rule that stated a student couldn't stand within eight inches of the opposite gender and music was banned, too."

"Seriously?" He blinked in surprise.

"Hmm, there was even a rule that all of Fred and George's products were banned in the school but I don't blame her for that one, she was tortured. They were able to disguise their products and smuggle them into the castle. The moment I saw her running down a corridor being chased by one of their Wild Fire Whiz-Bangs was one of the best things I've ever witnessed," she sighed, a smile tugging at her face and he snorted at her.

"So, to conclude, breaking ridiculous rules is fine, but breaking rules regarding safety is a big not a chance in hell. Got it. One more?"

"I said you could have five," she said amused.

"Please, jus' one more," he pleaded.

"Fine, just one," she rolled her eyes.

He grinned triumphantly. "What is Hermione Granger's golden rule?"

" _Never_ be without your wand and if possible, always have a back-up."

"A've a lot tae learn from ye."

She nodded. "I've been thinking and I think we should buy thank you gifts for everyone. For helping us with the wedding. What do you think?"

"A don' see why we shouldn't. After the wedding?"

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Saturday 18th July 1998**

"Hermione, ye look fine," Oliver said amused, watching as she pottered about in the kitchen mumbling to herself. He leaned against the breakfast bar with his arms folded over his chest, his eyes following her movements.

He was waiting for everyone to arrive for the dinner Hermione was holding, and he was dressed in a white button-down shirt, white trainers, dark blue jeans and a dark blue v-neck jumper that he'd rolled up to his elbows, looking neither too smart nor too casual.

"No, I'm covered in flour...My hair's a mess...Is my dress too short? It feels too short. I'm going to change!"

She made to exit the kitchen but as she passed him, Oliver reached out and caught her wrist, gently tugging her to him until her chest pressed against his. She glared at him in annoyance and he was unable to stop his chuckle.

"It's a good job I don't have my shoes on yet, otherwise I would've fallen flat on my face and you would've gotten hexed."

"Fair enough, but yer not changing _again_. Yer've already been changed _three_ times. There's not a speck af flour or dirt on ye, yer hair is perfect an' ye look beautiful."

And she did. She had her wild hair cascading down to the middle of her back and pinned back from her face with pretty clips, whilst she wore a black chiffon knee-length, spaghetti strap summer dress with the matching cropped cover-up jacket.

"You just don't want me to hex you," she scowled. He smiled cheekily.

"Af course, a have tae stay pritty fer the team's sake."

She rolled her eyes before releasing a sigh and quickly summoning her black closed-toe heels, slipping them on and using Oliver's arm to keep balance. After muttering a Cushioning and Balancing Charm, she tended to the food in the oven, just as their guests began to arrive.

Hermione could hear everyone's mutters, gasps and compliments on the apartment, not all that surprised with their reactions giving hers had been similar. Mr. and Mrs. Wood hadn't seen it newly decorated and Percy, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hadn't seen it at all, this being their first visit. Oliver gave them a quick tour as Hermione remained in the kitchen and Fred and George waltzed in as if they owned the place. They both stole food from the countertop and Hermione slapped their hands away, glaring at them.

"So, Mia, _why've_ you called a family meeting?" Fred cocked an eyebrow.

"And _why_ have you included Oliver's parents?" George picked up.

"They're going to be family," she shrugged, a nervous expression crossing her face. "And, well, I'm going to tell everyone."

They both froze in surprise. "About your past?" They chorused.

"I think I'm ready to tell them, I don't want them to think that I don't trust them by keeping things from them, but I'm going to be mindful of what I say. And I haven't had the chance to tell you yet, but I spoke to Oliver about the possibility of me not being to have children."

"And?" They asked quickly and she gave a small smile. The twins shared a smile and a knowing look.

"He said that if it came down to it we could adopt. He promised his parents wouldn't mind that I might not be able to give him an heir by blood, they wouldn't love them any less and neither would he. I tried to get him to petition for a new match but he's refused on every attempt."

"Something between you's changed. We noticed it when we came for dinner on the other day but we thought better than to mention it," George commented innocently, watching her carefully for a reaction. "What happened?"

Hermione's face showed a myriad of emotions, too many to pick out just one to focus on and decipher.

"We talked for a while, some things were said which led to Oliver asking if I was falling for him," she blushed. The twins looked to one another, identical smirks pulling at their mouths.

"What did you say?" Fred teased.

"The truth, well mostly, anyway. I said yes."

"But you lied because you're already in love him," George said knowingly and she nodded with a sigh.

She didn't bother denying it or asking how they knew, they knew her as well as they knew each other. She was the third member of their Twindom.

"And what did he say?"

"That he was falling for me, too. But I don't understand it! Three weeks! It's only been three weeks! How can you possibly fall for someone in only three weeks?"

"It can happen," Fred shrugged, slinging his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "When we were little, dad used to tell us stories about him and mum. He said that from the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew he was going to marry her."

"You can fall for someone in a matter of moments or years. You're in the world you belong to now and things happen differently here," George continued. "I remember dad telling us stories as kids about special witches and wizards who were fated to be together."

"Oh yeah, something about magic connecting and whatnot," Fred nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face as though he were trying to search his memories for those particular conversations.

"Oliver mentioned it as well; his parents told him the same thing. He's not sure if one of those rare occasions applies to us, but he did point out that we are supposedly each other's perfect match," Hermione told them.

"Stop worrying about the how or why and just focus on the fact that you love him. You're lucky, you were matched with someone that you can trust and have a happy future with. To someone you grew to love. Without this law, you likely wouldn't have met him," George spoke softly and he stood on her other side wedging her in-between him and Fred.

"We're not saying that it'll be easy for the both of you. You'll likely have arguments that end in you hexing him, crying and then running to us and then we'll prank him for upsetting you..." Hermione chuckled. "But no relationship is easy, especially in this case as you've only had a month of dating before you have to marry, but that could be a good thing."

"It's forced you to do things you were uncomfortable doing. This law took away your choices but it forced you to get to know each other, to feel comfortable around each other and to move in together, but your feelings for him developed all on their own. As long as you respect each other and work together, you can make this soon to be marriage work."

"You're forgetting about the rules we have to abide by," Hermione pointed out unhappily and the twins looked a little ill at the reminder.

"Yes, well," George cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Forget about them. Most of that stuff's common sense anyway."

"And don't worry about getting pregnant. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, Oliver's promised not to abandon you and you can adopt if you wish to. You'll easily be cleared and pass the whole adoption process," Fred assured her. "Who'd turn down Hermione Granger?"

"I don't know what I'd do without the two of you," she sighed. They both grinned at her.

"You'd be on a rampage without us to reign you in," George shrugged and they laughed at him.

"What've you done to Skeeter?" Fred asked curiously as she had yet to share her plans with them, something they were a little annoyed with but they could appreciate the aspect of it being a surprise, too.

She grinned evilly. "I don't think she'll be able to open her mail for a while without receiving an appreciative _gift_ me."

At her reply, laughter bubbled out of them and as it happened, the rest of the dinner party returned from the tour, eyeing the trio before them apprehensively.

"What are you three up to?" Mrs. Weasley asked as you would a child suspected of plotting trouble.

"Nothing," they trio chorused quickly. She narrowed her eyes only for them to smile angelically in response.

"Where's Quaffle?" Hermione asked as she hadn't seen him for a while.

"I think I saw him on the balcony with a weird looking bunny," Charlie answered. Hermione's eyes widened in horror.

"What?!" She shrieked, startling the others not only at the loud sound but the way she dashed past them as best she could in her heels, Oliver following her to the balcony as he sniggered to himself and he was followed by the remainder of the dinner party, sharing confused expressions and words.

"Oh! Not again!" Hermione whined, seeing Quaffle chewing on Harold's arm and she stormed over to him. "Quaffle, let go of him now!" She said sternly but Quaffle didn't listen, rather he wagged his tail. Hermione scowled and reached for the rabbit, grabbing hold of it and tugging. "Let go!" He didn't, he looked to be having far too much fun to listen to her. "A little help here?" Hermione looked over her shoulder at Oliver, seeing his amused expression.

"What'd a get if a do?"

"How about I don't hex you in your sleep and set fire to your broom," she glared.

Oliver snorted and held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, Sparrow, there's naw need tae bring me broom intae this." He stepped forward, taking up Hermione's previous mantle and tugging on the rabbit. "Quaffle, let go," he ordered. Quaffle didn't listen to him. "Quaffle, am not playing. Let go!"

"You heard him, Quaffle," Hermione said amused. "Let go,"

Without warning, Quaffle released his grip on the rabbit and Oliver fell backwards, landing on his back on the grass as everyone burst into sniggers and laughter.

"Did ye plan tha'?" He asked her suspiciously.

"No, I swear," she held her hands up. "I had no idea he'd listen to me."

"Why does it seem like we've been in this situation befere?"

"Because we have," Hermione replied amused before offering her hand and helping him to his feet and then taking Harold from Oliver and fixing him. "This was on my chest of drawers, how'd he get it?" She asked aloud before shaking her head and banishing her childhood comforter to her room.

"Well, Hermione, you and Oliver have a lovely home," Mrs Weasley commented, her cheeks a little flushed from laughing.

"It was all Oliver's doing; I just took over the place," she smiled and they snorted at her.

"Naw, ye made the place look better, like a home," Oliver argued.

"He's right, Dear," Mrs. Wood nodded in agreement. "This place was quite bare an' blindingly white. Now it looks wonderful."

"All I did was make him come shopping with me to buy some paint, photo frames and cushions," she blushed.

"Ye decorated the TV room by yerself, a dinnae even know until the morning after," he said amused by her reactions.

"Well, he decorated my room, the kitchen and had the library put in," Hermione argued.

"Actually, a hired people tae do it fer mae," he corrected with a shrug.

"Well, I'm glad to see that even though you are living together, you have separate rooms," Mrs. Weasley said approvingly.

"How about we sit down for dinner?" Hermione suggested, blushing furiously and the twins smirked.

They made their way back to the kitchen, the table was enlarged and chairs were conjured to accommodate the larger number of people and they each took their seats. Food was passed around, Quaffle wandered around the table being fed bits of food by everyone but Hermione, and they chatted comfortably as they ate Hermione's dinner of lamb casserole, mash potato and dumplings with vegetables, and for dessert, they had chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies to later nibble on.

"So, Hermione," Bill drew her attention, "Why was a family meeting called?"

"I wanted to talk to you all," she paused, taking a breath. "About...About what happened during the war."

Her words had their conversations halting and they eating stopping as they stared at her whilst Oliver's parents looked more intrigued than they did surprised.

"That's always been a touchy subject with you, Hermione," Charlie pointed out.

"I know, but I think I'm ready to tell you. There's some things that I _can't_ tell you for reasons I can't explain and you to trust me on that, but I'll tell you almost everything that I can. That's why I wanted you all here tonight. I don't want to keep secrets and I think it'll help me come to terms with what happened."

"When are you going to tell us?" Percy asked.

"After dinner. The twins didn't the information well and I don't want to ruin dinner, so I'll do it after."

"Okay, after dinner then," Mr. Weasley smiled and the topic changed as everyone returned to eating and chatting pleasantly.

"I'm going to write a book," Hermione informed no one in particular but she received intrigued looks nevertheless.

"Aboot what?" Mr. Wood questioned curiously.

"The war," she answered. Several eyebrows arched in a way that was quite terrifying. "People should know the truth and you never know, Hogwarts might make them a part of their curriculum. I never had the chance to clear Sirius' name like I promised him I would, and now I do. Everyone should know the sacrifices that were made and what better way than it coming from me. I don't want people writing books about the war and have them filled with propaganda and lies. I'm a trusted source, I was on the front lines, I was an instrumental part of taking down Voldemort; people will know they can rely on any words I may write."

"How are you going to do it? It's going to take a while and you've got a new job now," Percy asked interested.

"I'm actually working fewer hours than I was at the shop and after the Quidditch season's over we have a two month break before training starts up again in November. I'll have time then but I already have the foundation of the books."

"Books? I thought you were only writing one," Charlie said.

"Seven, one for each year of the war. I kept journals, I have at least three for every year. I just have to develop what's already written and edit it. Simple enough. The Ministry will try and stop me from publishing some of the things I have to say but I'll ask Kingsley for help."

"So, Fleur, when's the baby due?" Oliver asked the French woman, changing the subject.

"I am seven weekz along. I am due February, and I cannot wait for zese hormonez to be ozer and done with," she replied. Hermione and the Weasleys looked at her with identical knowing looks. Fleur secretly loved that she was so hormonal all the time and they knew it.

When they'd finished eating, the cleaning up was taken care of by a little magic and the dinner party convened in the living area, everyone taking seats. Hermione and Oliver sat on the couch with the twins on either side of Hermione and Oliver for support. And she began her story, from rampaging mountain trolls in girl's bathrooms to healing Fred at the hospital. She left out certain parts of the story such as the Deathly Hallows and only skimming over the topic of Horcruxes. When she finished an hour or so later, they were all staring at her with pale skin tones, shock and awe and Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Wood and Fleur's faces were tear-stained.

"I had no idea," Mrs. Weasley whispered. "I had no idea my son put you through so much," she said sadly. "He's lucky he's not in the country because I have a wooden spoon and a Stinging Hex with his name on."

Hermione chuckled and the twins smirked; they couldn't wait to see that happen.

"It wasn't your fault, Maji. Ron's oblivious and hot-tempered and he has the emotional range of a teaspoon."

"What are these objects you mentioned? Surely they have a name," Bill said confused.

"They do; there used to be less than ten people that knew about them but now it's risen to twelve. These objects are the very definition of dark magic. I was ill for days when I learned about them and the twins and Oliver weren't much better. They allowed Voldemort to have immortality and they had to be destroyed before he could be killed. "

"Alright, and your natural healing abilities? That's amazing," Charlie said awed.

Hermione blushed. "I don't know where it originates from, I know I was born with it but I don't know if I'm born with it because one of my ancestors had it and it was passed onto me along with my magic, or if it's non-genetic and hereditary."

"You healed Fred?" Mrs. Weasley said with tears in her eyes.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I did. The potions and spells they were giving Fred wouldn't have made much difference to his condition for a while. I healed his injuries but it took me two weeks to be able to wake him from his coma. A task of that magnitude is very difficult so I had to do it in small doses."

"We saw you, after you healed Oliver," George said thoughtfully. "You were shaking, you were pale and you had a nose bleed."

"That's because Oliver's injuries were extensive. He had internal bleeding, some organ damage, a broken leg, arm and clavicle and deep tissue bruises. If he'd been caught with the spell sooner, his injuries wouldn't have been so severe, but because they were, it took a lot of my energy and magic to heal him. I can heal cuts, bruises and a few broken bones no problem but when it comes to internal bleeding and organ damage, that's when things get complex."

"And the full moon?" Bill commented amusedly.

"I'm surprised no one noticed sooner," Hermione said honestly, "Especially you, Bill"

"I had a feeling something was different about you. I was attacked your sixth year, but I couldn't be sure what it was that was different."

"Why dinnae ye tell anyone sooner?" Mr. Wood asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "There were other pressing matters and I didn't think that it was important. It was only a few enhanced senses and a change in my mood around the full moon. It wasn't exactly life-threatening."

"It was to us," the twins scoffed.

"I told you and you still thought it would be funny to wind me up until I hexed you," she argued and they shrugged, unapologetic.

"It was worth it getting to see you all huffy," Fred said and they laughed at her scowl.

"And your parents," Mr. Weasley said sadly. "You could've told us, Hermione."

"No, I couldn't. I couldn't tell you because I wasn't ready to admit they'd died. I was ashamed and I didn't want to disappoint anyone."

"Is there a'thing else?" Mrs. Wood asked. Hermione, Oliver and the twins shared a look. "A'll take tha' as a yes. Is there a'thing else ye want tae tell us _now_?" She amended

"No, not yet at least."

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere Stadium - Monday 20th July 1998**

Before leaving the apartment, Oliver had received a letter from the jewellers letting him know he could pick up the engagement ring he'd had made for Hermione. The only problem was coming up with an excuse so he could go to Diagon Alley and pick it up without Hermione suspecting anything.

Training had just finished for the day and it had been a good session. Hermione had only made them do twenty laps of the obstacle course and she had explained to the team their weaknesses and given them a set of new drills to run. Oliver could already see an improvement in the team, both in their playing of Quidditch and in their behaviour. And to top the day off with a cherry, Hermione had hexed Malloy with her Bat-Bogey Hex for being a prat and deliberately winding her up. Malloy had definitely learned his lesson and the team laughed until they cried and fell over in the case of Thompson and Pallie.

As Hermione walked out of Coach Burton's office further down the corridor and Oliver walked out of the locker rooms freshly showered and with damp hair, they met in the middle.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hi, ye should head home withoot mae, a have tae pick up somethin' from Madam Malkin's befere she closes," Oliver lied, hoping she wouldn't want to accompany him.

"You're going to Diagon Alley?" She questioned and he nodded slowly. "Great, I'll come with you." Oliver's face fell but it returned to a smile when he heard her next words. "I need to see Fred and George, I need more products for Skeeter and I've designed more products for them," she grinned.

Together they walked to the floo with Quaffle following obediently by their side.

"What exactly have ye done tae Skeeter?"

Her answering grin immediately let him know she wasn't going easy on the witch and he actually felt a minuscule amount of pity for the woman.

"I've been sending her prank products in the mail three times a day, well, technically the owl post office is sending her anonymous gifts," she grinned and he snorted at her.

"Like what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Canary Creams, Ton-tongue Toffee, Puking Pastilles, Self Propelling Custard Pies, Weasley's Snowstorm, Exploding Whizz Poppers and Thor's Thunder Cracker," she grinned at him and he shivered. "I can't remember the rest."

"Ye scare mae sometimes," he admitted in a mutter. When she smiled angelically, he couldn't hold in his snort.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley**

"I'll meet you back here?" Hermione offered.

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Aboot an hour?"

"That's fine," she smiled. "Plenty of time to gather what I need," her smile turned evil. He really did pity Skeeter.

"Are ye gunna be okay on yer own?" He asked worriedly.

She smiled at him. "Yes, I should be. There's too many people here so I'll blend into the crowd easily enough and I haven't seen any photographers." He reluctantly nodded. "Am I taking Quaffle or are you?"

"A'll take him."

"Are you sure? You said you were going to Madam Malkin's."

"She'll let him in as soon as she sees mae," he shrugged. It paid to be a celebrity.

"Well, if you're sure..." She reached up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, scratched Quaffle behind the ears and then she turned and made her way through the still bustling crowd.

She headed straight for the twin's shop and she entered to see a line from the counter backed up all the way to the door. She smiled to herself and made her way through the crowd and she slipped behind the counter and called for the next customer.

"Hey, Mia," George said looking relieved for her appearance and help.

"You're looking frazzled, George," she grinned in amusement and she rang the sales up and gave the customer their change before the next customer took their place at the counter.

"We've been really busy today," he blew a stray piece hair red hair out of his face.

"I can see that," she laughed at him before moving onto the next customer.

It took ten minutes to get the queue at the counter back down to zero but the shop was still bustling with customers and the peace wouldn't last for long, especially with closing hours approaching, something George looked as though he couldn't wait for.

"It's like you never left," George grinned and he hopped onto the counter and swung his legs back and forth.

"I can never truly leave this place; this will always be my home," she looked about fondly and his smile widened. "And if you need help all you have to do is ask, you know?"

"You have a job, Junior Coach," he reminded her.

"Coach said I don't have to be there _every_ day, but I go anyway to give me something to do," she shrugged.

"Why, hello there, beautiful," Fred greeted as he waltzed over to them and flung his arm around Hermione and he gave her an overly dramatic kiss on the cheek. Both George and Hermione rolled their eyes and chuckled at him.

"Hello, Fred-er-ick," she grinned at his grimace.

"So, what do you need?" George asked.

"What? I can't come and visit my favourite boys without having an ulterior motive?"

"Of course, you can, but not this time," Fred said and Hermione mock-scowled at him.

"Fine," she huffed and they grinned triumphantly. "I brought you some new designs for products." They grinned at her. "Just because I don't spend all my time here like I used to, doesn't mean I'm giving up my part of this pranking trio," she gestured between them with her hand.

"Never thought you would," they chorused.

"It's in your twin blood," Fred commented and she snorted at him.

"I need some new products for Skeeter."

"How long are you going to keep this up?" George asked amused.

"When the old hag's on the verge of a mental breakdown. It's only been a week and I've sent her twenty-one gifts so far, but I have much more planned. Now, let's see, I need the strongest _legal_ Love Potion you can give me and some flirting fancies," she tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"For my own amusement and I need a few more things, too."

The twins shared a look, shook their heads and then left her at the counter whilst they gathered the things she'd asked for and she worked the till.

Fifteen minutes before she was due to meet Oliver, she said her goodbyes to the twins and left the shop, slowly walking towards the Leaky Cauldron.

As she made her way through the bustling crowd, out of nowhere she was pushed and thrown into an alleyway in-between two shops, out of view. Someone grabbed her from behind, lifted her up and restrained her against their chest.

"Hello, Mudblood!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 17

**Diagon Alley – Monday 20th July 1998**

She felt her eyes widen: she knew that voice.

"Crabbe," she said calmly. "And I presume that the idiot who pushed me is Goyle."

The robed figure before her pushed the hood down, revealing Goyle's smirk. "You miss us, Mudblood?"

"Not really, no," she replied meanly. "I'm sorry to say, you weren't a massive part of my life."

Goyle's smirk fell and was replaced by a cruel sneer as he closed the distance between them and raised his closed fist, Hermione clenching her teeth and releasing a pained groan when it sank in her stomach.

"You should be more careful with the way you speak to your superiors," he spat.

"You're _not_ my superior."

He punched her once more and in the exact same place.

"My blood says otherwise!"

"Oh, you mean your father's blood? Isn't he in Azkaban? Yours too, Crabbe?"

Without warning, a Slicing Hex grazed her face, the skin of her cheek splitting and blood trickling down her face.

"You're going to end up the same way as your father if you continue with this," she warned him but he didn't listen and a second Slicing Hex was thrown at her, this one landing on her abdomen, slicing through her t-shirt. "Fine, have it your way."

She moved quickly, stomping on Crabbe's foot and elbowing him in the stomach until he grunted and automatically released her, taking a stumbling step back. She ducked the spell that left Goyle's wand and it collided with Crabbe, propelling him backwards and into the brick wall. Pulling her own wand, she threw up a shield to fend against Goyle's onslaught and with her annoyance growing and Goyle's form tiring, dropped her shield, and ignored the feeling of being hit with a hex, before she sent one of her own his way, colliding with him and throwing him sideways into the brick wall.

Spinning on her heel, her attention moved to a slowly standing Crabbe as he appeared to regain his bearings and with her distraction, she hadn't been expecting for a hex to slam into her back, sending her tumbling forward until she landed painfully on her knees. Taking a breath and breathing through the pain, she pulled herself to her feet and looked over her shoulder towards the entrance to the alleyway.

"You're not marrying Oliver, he's mine! He loves me!" The dirty-blonde witch said with a deranged look in her eyes.

Hermione sighed tiredly, barely stopping herself from pinching the bridge of her nose. _'Wonderful! Two Death Eaters and a crazy bint all in one day. Way to go, Hermione.'_

"Oliver's marrying me because of the Marriage Law. We have no choice," Hermione replied. Why couldn't people see that it wasn't her fault? She didn't choose the matches or have anything to do with the implementation. She'd been just as in the dark as everyone else.

"There is a choice," she disagreed. You die, he can marry me. I love him and he loves me. We have something special, he gave me his jersey and family cuff bracelet," she said smugly.

Hermione eyed her carefully, more specifically, the wand clutched in her hand. "He did, did he?" She gave the woman a quick once over, from her dirty-blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, her dark eyes, small nose and thin lips, right down to her short stature, plain blue robes and the Oliver fan girl t-shirt she wore beneath. Hermione supposed she could be considered pretty, except her obvious stupidity and creepy personality took away from her looks. "What's your name?"

"Mary," she responded, a proud smile on her lips.

"Well, Mary, I think you have a few screws loose," Hermione replied honestly, not caring if she was offending or angering the witch. "Oliver's never mentioned you and I've more than one of his jerseys, an entire wardrobe full, if I'm honest. It doesn't make you special."

"He loves me and he's gunna marry me, not you!" She exploded in a shriek of fury, storming towards Hermione with her wand raised and eyes alight with fury.

Sighing tiredly, Hermione only had to give a lazy flick of her wand before Mary was stunned and crashing to the ground. She should've cast first before approaching. With Mary taken care of, she'd planned on seeing to Crabbe, only she wasn't fast enough and he'd used her distraction to his advantage, tackling her to the ground. She tried to push him off her, to break free, but he was dead weight and unmoving. He gripped her wrist so tightly, she both felt and heard the bone snap whilst he also hit her in the face. During the struggle, her wand had fallen out of her hand and she tried to reach for it but Crabbe prevented her from doing so.

]"It's about time you learned how to treat your superiors, Mudblood!" He snarled and with his fist raised, he paused in bringing it down when a dog's bark sounded.

Tilting her head and arching her body the best she could to better see, she released a relieved heavy sigh as Quaffle bounded down the alleyway and without stopping, he leapt straight for Crabbe. The large wizard's reflexes kicked in last minute and he rolled off Hermione, Quaffle missing him by inches, only when Crabbe stood, Quaffle lunged for him, this time catching his arm, sinking his teeth into the flesh and locking his jaw, refusing to release his grip. Crabbe cried out in pain and Hermione slowly rose to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Her eyes remaining locked on Crabbe and Quaffle, she used the scene to distract her from the pain of her injuries but once she heard footfalls, she looked towards the entrance of the alleyway. The moment her eyes locked with Oliver's, a relieved smile crossed her face before she felt herself going dizzy, everything went blank and she collapsed to the floor, passing out.

~000~000~000~

Since Oliver had told Hermione there was something he needed to collect from Diagon Alley, he thought it would look suspicious should he return home without anything and suspicious was something he didn't want Hermione to be. The ring he'd gotten her was to be a surprise, one he didn't want her knowing about until he was the right time.

So, after a quick pit-stop to Madam Malkin's, the witch practically falling over herself to help him, he left with a gift for his mother, and he made a quick visit to Flourish and Blotts to grab some new books for Hermione before he headed to the jewellers with twenty-five minutes to spare.

"Mr. Wood," the old wizard greeted with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, I have your ring just out the back, please wait a moment and I'll collect it for you."

Oliver patiently waited by the counter, perusing some of the jewellery on display until the returned a few minutes later. Opening the ring box, he handed it to Oliver to allow him to see the final product and make a final decision. Accepting the box, a smile tugged at Oliver's mouth as soon as he saw it. It was perfect, exactly how he'd imagined it. Despite the fact the ring was expensive and contained numerous gemstones, it didn't look too flashy or showy. It was beautiful and it wouldn't draw attention to it unless you were stood close by. The diamonds cast rainbows in the light, the ruby held a dark red tint and the tanzanites were a lilac-blue, meaning they'd been recently mined.

"Will the ring magically resize itself?"

"Yes, I added the feature as I was unaware of the ring size. e. "Would you like to purchase anything else? Wedding bands maybe?"

"Not right now," Oliver shook his head.

"Very well, the total cost is nine thousand and twenty-seven galleons, fifteen sickles and nineteen nuts," the owner said gleefully. Without hesitation, Oliver signed the receipt and gave the owner his Gringotts information so it may be taken from his vault. "Have a good evening, Mr. Wood."

Smiling, Oliver left the shop and stood by the door, looking down at the ring incredibly pleased with his purchase, the sun hitting the newly mined, carved and polished gemstones and reflecting a myriad of colours across his face. Crouching down, he tipped the ring box towards Quaffle.

"What'd ye think? Think she'll like it?" He asked the dog and Quaffle barked before licking Oliver's cheek. Oliver smiled and scratched the large puppy's head. "Yer right, it's perfect."

He rose to full height and snapped the ring box closed, slipping it into his robe pocket for safekeeping, and without warning, Quaffle lifted his nose, visibly sniffing the air before he barked madly, drawing the attention of not only Oliver but passersby as well. Whispers broke out as members of the public recognised him, expression of pity, amazement, shock and infatuation directed his way and he mentally groaned. That's just what he needed!

"What is it?" He asked Quaffle and as soon as he did, Quaffle dashed down the cobblestone street, darting in-between shoppers. Oliver's eyes widened but he was soon chasing after him. "Quaffle!" He called, gaining the attention of the shoppers as he pushed past people and made his way through the busy alley. "Quaffle, get back here!" He yelled once more.

Quaffle darted down an alleyway in-between two shops and Oliver halted to a stop to take a quick breather as he clutched at his side, a painful stitch having formed. Groaning in annoyance, he took another breath before he continued the chase.

"Quaffle! A'll have the twins shave ye!" He threatened, the already confused and stunned looks he received increasing.

He followed Quaffle's barks to an alleyway, putting on a burst of speed when he heard agonised yells mixed with the barks. He halted to a stop at the entrance, the breath being knocked out of him at the sight of two unconscious figures on the floor, Quaffle latched onto a third, and Hermione sliding down the wall until her body hit the ground. His eyes widening in horror, he absentmindedly drew his wand and cast a _Petrificus Totalus_ , petrifying the third figure, and then rushing to Hermione's side just as Quaffle reached her and laid beside her protectively.

"Sparrow?"

He tried to wake her, gently shaking her shoulders but there was no response or movement. A few attempts later, the only thing that gave him comfort was the rise and fall of her chest, letting him know she was alive.

"Quaffle, get help, find Fred an' George," he ordered.

As Quaffle barely glanced at him as he ran off, Oliver took inventory of Hermione's injuries, a few cuts to her face and stomach, a clear broken wrist and a possible broken nose, he'd seen enough in his line of work. He wanted to know what'd happened but it would have to wait.

Lifting Hermione from the ground, he settled her in his arms and leaning against his chest, muttering words of comfort in her ear, hoping she could still hear him.

"Help's on the way, ye'll be fine. The people tha' did this won't get away with it," he promised.

It wasn't long before Fred and George arrived, running down the alleyway and following behind Quaffle.

"Get the Aurors an' a healer," Oliver ordered before they'd even halted to a stop.

Breathing heavily, George sent his Patronus to the Ministry with a message for the MLE Department and notifying them a healer or two was needed.

"What happened?" George asked as he and Fred crouched down before him.

"A dunno, Quaffle ran aff an' a chased after him until he brought me here. By the time a got here, they were on the ground an' Quaffle had a hold af the third one. Hermione collapsed, a petrified him an' sent Quaffle tae get help," he answered, never taking his eyes away from Hermione.

"He's a clever dog, we were locking up when he started jumping up at the glass and barking to get our attention, he wouldn't stop until we followed him."

"Hermione's always saying he's intelligent. He saved her life. If Quaffle hadn't have sensed tha' something was wrong, she could've died," Oliver muttered.

"What were you doing in Diagon Alley?" Fred questioned, trying to keep Oliver talking before he decided to get up and deal with the unconscious bodies of Hermione's attackers himself, which was quite possible with the way he was glaring at them.

"A told her a needed tae pick somethin' up from Malkin's. She wanted tae come with mae so we separated an' agreed tae meet at Leaky Cauldron after an hour."

"But you didn't need to go to Malkin's, did you?" George said knowingly

Oliver shook his head. "A lied, a dinnae want her tae know where a was really goin'."

"Why?" They chorused.

Distractedly, Oliver slipped his hand in his robe pocket and removed the ring box, handing it to Fred. When he opened it, his and George's eyes darted between the ring and Oliver tenderly holding Hermione against him.

"You got her an engagement ring?" George muttered in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected that.

"She deserves a real engagement. A don' care what she said, she's gettin' a ring. Anno the wedding's in less than twa weeks an' it's not really necessary but am gunna propose tae her."

"You love her," they both stated.

Oliver's head snapped away from Hermione's face and to theirs. "What?"

"You love her," Fred repeated.

"I..." He hesitated.

"It's okay to admit it, she's very easy to love," he replied with a knowing smile.

Before any response could be given, Kingsley arrived with three Aurors and two healers, the port-keys bringing them silently to the entrance of the alleyway. The healers rushed forward and tried to get near Hermione but Quaffle wouldn't let them without growling at them, at which they were afraid to get closer.

"Quaffle, they aren't gunna hurt her," Oliver informed the overprotective pup, and although his growling stopped, he didn't move. Fred handing Oliver the ring box before he and George stepped aside to allow the healers and Aurors more room.

"What happened, Mr. Wood?" Kingsley asked.

Oliver sighed before quickly repeating what he'd told the twins not too long ago.

"She has two breaks, several cuts and a few bruises forming. All in all, she will be fine," a female healer said. "I'll give her a Pain Potion..."

"Naw," Oliver said quickly.

"I'm sorry?" The healer questioned in surprise.

"Don't give her a Pain Potion."

"Once she wakes, she'll be in quite a bit of pain."

"Don't give her a Pain Potion," he repeated, his anger building.

"That isn't your call to make, Mr. Wood," she said haughtily.

"A'll think ye'll find it as am her fiancé. Ye won't be giving her a Pain Potion 'coz she's allergic tae them an' it could kill her," he glared, not even bothering to stop himself from doing so.

"Impossible," she scoffed. "No one is allergic to Pain Potions."

"She's a war veteran; she suffered hours under the Cruciatus Curse. She's now allergic tae all Pain Potions as a result. Stop bloody arguing with mae an' do yer job befere a get me layers involved fer neglect!" He snapped, the healer looking both outraged and taken aback whilst the twins shared a proud smile.

"Healer Tole," the Minister interrupted. "Do your job and heal Miss. Granger without any more disruptions," he commanded in a clear and concise tone.

The healer averted her gaze and tended to Hermione's cuts and breaks. "I can't do anything for the bruises but improve the healing time," she said.

"We can," Fred gestured to himself and his twin.

"Healer Tole, attend to the other casualties along with Healer Kit."

"We've checked their wands, Minister," an Auror spoke. "Miss. Granger's wand along with the three suspects support the evidence of an attack and Miss. Granger defending herself."

"Thank you, Auror Hills, detain the suspects and prepare to transport them to a holding room."

As he handed Hermione's wand to Oliver, a groan sounded before Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she slowly looked about her surroundings in confusion, landing on Oliver's blinding smile.

"What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Kingsley replied with a kind smile.

"Minister?" She frowned, her eyes darting towards the entrance of the alleyway when she caught the camera flashes from the corner of her eye. "We've got company," she sighed, them turning to the scene of photographers, journalists and members of the public heading their way.

Kingsley quickly ordered the Aurors to stop the public from getting any closer and to erect wards around them until reinforcements arrived to help clear the alleyway.

"Miss. Granger, what happened?" He asked once more.

Hermione frowned once more before she pushed herself into a sitting position, away from Oliver's chest but he still kept his arms folded around her.

"I was on my way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Oliver when I was pushed in here and someone grabbed me, it was Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Words were exchanged, I was hit and I broke free, fighting them off. At some point, that idiot over there," she gestured to the girl on the floor, "Came out of nowhere, hexing me and saying she was going to marry Oliver because she loved him and he loved her. Apparently, they have something special, she even has his jersey and family cuff bracelet," she said sarcastically. The twins snorted and Oliver's eyes widened as he quietly seethed. He knew he hadn't lost it! "She said that if I died, she could marry Oliver."

Oliver's grip on her tightened and she winced. "Oliver, you're squeezing the life out of me."

"Sorry," he muttered, loosening his hold.

"Anyway, we had a chat, she got mad and tried to harm, so I stunned her before she could do any damage to herself," she continued and the twins snorted. "Crabbe tackled me from behind, pinned me down and he broke my wrist and hit me in the face. I tried to reach my wand but he was too heavy and I couldn't move. Luckily, Quaffle came, he attacked him and wouldn't let go; I wouldn't be surprised if you see a nasty bite on Crabbe. At that point, Oliver arrived and then I must've fainted because I remember being dizzy."

"We'll take your memories to prevent you from having to testify at trial. Both Crabbe and Goyle are on a probation period, if they don't steer clear of trouble for five years, they're sentenced to Azkaban. However, the case of this woman is tricky. Do you know her name?"

"Mary, I'm sure said it was Mary."

"Mary Hughes," Oliver's chest rumbled.

"You know her, Mr. Wood?" The Minister questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"She's me number one fan. She's the reason a moved; she kept breaking intae me old apartment an' following mae. A thought a'd just lost some stuff during the move, but apparently she stole it."

"She'll be brought up on charges, I can assure you. Do you know which belongings of yours she took?"

"A silver cuff bracelet stamped with me family's crest, a Puddlemere Quidditch jersey, a few af me shirts, me favourite book, _Quidditch Through the Ages_ , an' a don' doubt there's other things."

"Her residence will be searched and we will return any belongings of yours that we find," Kingsley assured him.

"The only thing a want back is the cuff bracelet; ye can sell ev'rythin' else an' give the money tae charity."

"As you wish, Mr. Wood," he nodded before peering over his shoulder. "Ah, it's about time reinforcements arrived. Well, we better get the suspects back to the Ministry," he mused, before personally removing Hermione's memories and placing them in a vial in his robe pockets. "You may go home, Miss. Granger"

"Thanks, Minister," she sighed. "What will happen to Quaffle, our dog?" She questioned, reaching out to run her hands through his fur.

"Neither of you will be held responsible for his actions; he was protecting his owner which isn't against the law." Hermione nodded. "Before I forget, Rita Skeeter has been into the Ministry to make a complaint against you, accusing you of terrorising her." Hermione didn't bother plastering an innocent look on her face, he already knew it was her; he'd technically given her permission, after all. "I must say, reading the report of her official complaint was quite amusing. And some of the things you have sent her in the mail, quite ingenious, Miss. Granger"

"Thanks," she grinned.

"Am I right in thinking you have not yet finished?"

"Yes, you are. In fact, I picked up a few more products this evening."

He chuckled. "I look forward to reading the next report. You can't be arrested unless she has absolute proof that you are the one sending her the items in the mail," he said, before turning and leaving them alone.

"Are you sure you're okay?" George asked her, looking worried.

"I'm fine," she nodded, accepting Oliver's help in standing.

"We'll send you over some Bruise Removal Paste," Fred said before they both gave her a quick hug and then they returned to their shop, fighting their way through the crowd that surrounded them.

"Shall we go home?" Hermione asked and Oliver nodded quickly.

Crouching down, Hermione lifted Quaffle into her arms, holding her against him whilst Oliver banished Hermione's shopping bags back to the apartment. Looking to each other, they shared a nod before walking down the alleyway and stepping through the wards, immediately being hounded by journalists and flashing cameras. Oliver slid his arm around Hermione and pulled her into his side protectively, guiding her through the crowd as she had her head down and buried in Quaffle's fur.

"Miss. Granger, sources say you attacked a fan in a rage of jealousy, care to comment?"

"Mr. Wood, how does it feel to know that you're engaged to a dangerous woman?"

"Miss. Granger, do you feel any remorse for what you did?"

"Mr. Wood, are you concerned for your fans?"

"Miss. Granger, are you responsible for the disappearance of Harry Potter, and Ronald and Ginevra Weasley?"

"Mr. Wood, are you worried that you may be next to disappear?"

"Whose dog is that? Was he involved in the attack?"

Quaffle, sensing Hermione's upset, released a growl that had the crowd backing away from them, Oliver's mouth twitching into a proud smirk. He guided her to the Leaky Cauldron and once they stepped inside, Tom shut and locked the doors preventing anyone from getting in and following them.

"That should hold them off until you can get home," Tom grinned.

"Thank you, Tom, I owe you one," Hermione smiled.

"You owe me nothing, Miss. Granger, you're the reason I don't have Death Eaters threatening my family and roaming the Alley. And just so you know, I don't believe a word of what that Skeeter woman's saying."

Hermione smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you,"

He patted her on the shoulder and gestured to the floo with a tip of his head, Hermione and Oliver stepping into the fireplace and flooing to the safety of their home.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

After stepping out of the fireplace, Hermione set Quaffle on the ground and crossed over to the windows, opening the balcony door for him, whilst Oliver observed her carefully, noting she was quieter than usual.

"Am sorry, Hermione,"

She spun to face him. "What for?"

"Mary, she attacked ye."

"Your number one fan, she seemed lovely," she said sarcastically and he couldn't help chuckling at her.

She left Quaffle on the balcony and headed for her bedroom, Oliver following after her and leaning against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest whilst Hermione climbed onto her bed.

"So, she's the reason you had to move?"

"Aye, she's nuts."

"I figured that out when she said I had to die so you were free to be with her. Apparently, you have a special connection, that's why you gave her your family cuff bracelet," she teased. Oliver made a scoffing sound. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked suddenly nervous. Oliver, picking up on the change in her mood, nodded slowly. "I know I said I didn't want to know about your past _relationships_ , but, Mary, you didn't...Well, you didn't..."

"Naw," he said softly, pushing away from the door frame and crossing over to her, climbing onto the bed until he laid down beside her on his side, supporting his head with his hand so he could look down at her. "I definitely dinnae," he promised.

"So, she's just nuttier than a fruit cake and you didn't give her any reason to think the way she does?"

Oliver snorted at her. "Naw, a only met her once, when a first started on the team. It was during a victory party an' she was there, a smiled at her an' gave her an autograph, tha's it. After tha' she started following mae everywhere, she found oot where a lived an' she broke intae me apartment, evidently more than once an' stole me things. A moved here 'coz af her an' it's why no one but our family an' Coach Burton knows where we live," he explained, a small sigh of relief falling from her lips. "Sparrow, if ye wanna know aboot me past relationships a'll tell ye."

She shook her head immediately. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know their identities because knowing me and the luck I have, I'll run into them in Diagon Alley." He chuckled at her. "I don't want to compare myself to them and I don't want you to compare me to them either."

"No one is comparable to you," he muttered truthfully and he lifted her hand with his free one, lacing his fingers through hers. "A can promise ye now, a'll never meet someone like ye."

"Rule number ten," she muttered.

"Only make promises if ye can keep them," he stated and she smiled slightly; he'd remembered. "A promise yer one in a million, at least in me opinion ye are. Did a ev'r tell ye the team's jealous am marrying ye?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would they be jealous? I'm nothing special and I'm nowhere near as pretty as their partners even if they do have horrendous personalities."

"Yer right, yer not pretty, yer _beautiful_ ," his eyes bore into hers, holding her gaze. "A've seen ye wear an old shirt an' been covered in paint an' ye were still beautiful. But yer personality is beautiful, tae. A've never met someone with as big a heart as yers, who's as kind an' selfless as ye. Yer able ae mae mae life an' it disturbs the team," he said, a smile tugging at her mouth in amusement. "Yer intelligent, witty an' thoughtful, ye charm people an' set them at ease withoot ye even realising yer doin' it. The team listens tae ye: a have tae yell at them if a want them tae do somethin'. Ye can sure as hell defend yerself; the only reason Quaffle had tae help ye taday was 'coz yer attacker was twice yer size an' weight, ye'd already dealt with twa af them." Her eyes shone brightly and he couldn't bring himself to look away from her. "A dunno what a'd do if ye weren't okay," he muttered, allowing some of his worry to seep through. "Tha's the third time yer've needed tae be healed in the space af twa weeks."

"I've got to keep you on your toes," she mumbled.

"Seriously, Hermione," he sighed, "When a saw ye collapse, a had the breath knocked oot af mae. A dinnae know hoo tae help ye, heal ye. Can ye teach mae?"

"How to heal?" She frowned and he nodded. "I'm a natural healer, that's not something you can teach."

"But as a natural healer, ye were born with knowledge af healing, ye know certain medical spells, spells tha' healer don' know, correct?" She nodded. "So teach mae them, then a can heal ye if a need tae." She nodded, looking thoughtful. "Why cannae ye heal yerself?"

"It's not the way it works, I can only heal others. I have my healing abilities, not for personal gain or personal use, but to help others."

"Okay, tell mae some more rules," he changed the subject.

"You can have three."

"A'll take what a can get. Twenty-five?"

"Surround yourself with the people and things you love."

"Thirteen?"

"If you're not happy, figure out what makes you happy. Don't settle."

"Last one, twenty-six?"

"Don't tell me to calm down. Not only will you likely get hexed and make me angrier, but never in the history of someone saying 'calm down' has anyone ever calmed down," she shrugged her shoulders and he snorted at her.

"Hang on, a've jus' remembered... Ye were disarmed," he said, a panicked expression crossing his face.

"No," she shook her head. "My wand was knocked out of my hand when Crabbe tackled me, I wasn't disarmed."

Hearing a tapping on the window, their attention turned to it, seeing a sandy coloured tawny owl. Flicking her wand, the window opened, the owl flew in and over to Hermione and she sat up, accepting the package.

"Hey, Crystal," Hermione greeted, the owl hooting and pecking her finger affectionately. "There's some treats by the window," she said. The owl hooted and nipped her finger before taking a treat and flying off into the distance, Hermione closing the window behind her with a flick of her wand. "Crystal's one of the shop owls," she told him, seeing his confused expression. "The twins named her after the Crystal Incantation Comet, all of their owls are named after their products."

Rolling his eyes, Oliver watched as Hermione removed the Bruise Removal Paste from the little wrapped box it came in.

"A'll do it," Oliver offered, taking the paste from her grasp.

"No, I'll do it," she said quickly, reaching and trying to take it from him.

"Hermione, a've seen the scars on yer stomach," he reminded her.

She nibbled at her lip contemplatively before reluctantly nodding her head and then reaching down to the hem of her shirt, lifting it to reveal two newly formed bruises. Oliver glowered at them as he opened the tub of paste and covered Hermione's stomach in it, Hermione hissing in pain when he touched her and he felt guilty for hurting her. When he was done, he put the lid back on the tub and set it on the floor before returning to his previous position of lying on his side and supporting his head on his hand as he watched Hermione staring up at the ceiling.

He allowed his thoughts to wander; he hadn't been lying when he'd said he didn't know what he'd do without her. Almost four weeks ago he met her for the first time. Who would've thought he would become so dependent on her? Not physically, of course, but emotionally and mentally. He didn't know what he was missing before he'd met Hermione. He had a routine and he stuck to it but since Hermione arrival, his life had turned upside down but he found that he actually liked it. He had a reason to get up in the morning that didn't revolve around his career. He laughed and smiled, he was well fed -overly so- and he was secretly sure she was trying to fatten him up. He always had company and the apartment always smelled like cooking food and on a morning her smell lingered in the bathroom and he always caught the scent as he walked past the bathroom door. She kept him on his toes, he didn't know what she would say or do at any given point, he didn't know what her responses would be and he didn't know if he was going to get hexed for something he said or did. She was a breath of fresh air for him, ironic given they both spent most of their time outdoors.

If he'd met her before the Marriage Law had been instigated, he likely wouldn't have gotten to know her like he did now, he likely wouldn't have met her at all. He wouldn't have fallen in love with her and he wouldn't see himself with her in the future, married and with children running around, making noise and mess but being happy. His mouth twitched at the thought and he was reminded of the ring in his pocket. Her ring.

He wanted to propose, he wanted her to have a real engagement even if it only lasted a week or two. He wanted her to have that because she deserved it. He wanted to propose because he wanted to know if she'd marry him without the Marriage Law forcing her to. If she said yes, he'd be over the moon and if she said no, he'd still marry her under the law. He wanted to do something special but he knew she wouldn't appreciate overly dramatic and huge actions. She would want something simple. He wasn't aware how long he'd been lost in his thoughts but Hermione brought him out of it.

"Ollie? Oliver?"

"What?" He blinked slowly, his eyes falling to her.

"I've been calling your name for the last five minutes, you alright?" She asked, concern clouding her eyes.

"Sorry, a was lost in me thoughts."

"Anything worth sharing?"

He contemplated his next move; maybe he could just do it now. Should he do it?

Before he could stop himself or even fully aware of what he was doing, he was hovering over her, supporting himself on his elbows and looking down at her shocked expression wh8ich soon gave way to laughter. He loved her laughter, it was one of the purest and infectious sounds he'd ever heard.

"Marry mae?"

Hermione's laughter halted, staring up at him with wide eyes. "What?" She whispered.

"Marry mae?" He repeated.

"But I am," she replied, a frown of confusion marring her features.

"Naw, marry mae. Marry mae fer real? Marry mae 'coz ye _want_ tae. Am so grateful tae have ye in me life an' a honestly dunno what a did tae deserve ye. When a saw ye collapse a dinnae know what tae do with meself. A'd already made the decision tae propose befere the attack, but when a was waiting fer help tae arrive, me decision was cemented. A want ye tae marry mae 'coz ye want tae an' not 'coz the law's forcing ye tae. Anno a dinnae take ye tae dinner or oot on a romantic date, but tha' doesn't mean a love ye any less. 'Coz a do, Hermione, a love ye, more than a love Quidditch. A'd give ev'rythin' up tae make ye happy. Yer beautiful, inside an' oot, an' a love ye so much. So, will ye marry mae?" He finished, his gaze boring into her water-filled eyes as tears escaped down her face and a bright smile soon pulled at her mouth.

A sniffle-laugh sounded from her and he held his body rigidly, waiting for her response.

"I love you, too," she confessed, Oliver's heart swelling at the confession. "Yes, yes I'll marry you. Not because of the law, but because I _want_ to."

Oliver's body sagged with relief and a dazzling smile appeared on his face, temporarily stealing her breath and making her feel dizzy. Lowering his head, he kissed her, his tongue running the length of her bottom lip until she parted, giving him access. Her arms raised, folding around his neck and tugging until his body fell under the force, pressing her into the mattress beneath her. She was soon rolling them until she straddled him, Oliver groaning into her mouth and his arms wrapping around her as he rose into a sitting position.

Remembering the ring in his robe pocket, he drew back from Hermione, chuckling at her less than pleased expression as she gazed at him questioningly. He shifted her from his lap and dug into his pocket, removing the ring box, a smile finding its way onto his face when Hermione's eyes locked on it, widening slightly in understanding. Opening the box, he plucked the ring from the silk cushion and grasped Hermione's left hand in his, slipping the ring onto her ring finger and it magically resized once it was in place. A gasp fell from her lips and tears welled in her eyes as she lifted her hands to better glimpse at it.

"I told you I didn't need a ring," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the ring as she watched how the light hit the surface and projected rainbows around the room.

"Ye did, which only made mae wanna buy ye one more," he replied.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said softly.

"Tha's 'coz it's a one of a kind. A had it designed especially fer ye," he smiled.

"Oliver, it looks _really_ expensive," she noted, her tone uncertain as she nibbled at her lip.

"Not really, yer worth it," he denied.

"Oliver, how much did it cost?"

"Am not telling ye."

"I'll find out," she pointed out.

He sighed; he didn't doubt she would find out. "Jus' over nine,"

"Nine hundred galleons?" Her eyes widened.

He laughed at her, shaking his head. "Nae, Sparrow, nine _thousand_."

" _Nine thousand galleons_!" She cried.

To him, her reaction was both amusing and adorable as her wide gaze swung between him and the ring on her finger.

"It's not _tha'_ expensive, Sparrow," he rolled his eyes. "There were plenty af rings in the jewellers tha' cost more than tha'."

"Oliver, that's roughly the equivalent to just over forty-three thousand muggle pounds. That's more than my parent's cars were worth combined!"

"A can afford it, it dinnae even make a dent in me vault an' am only gunna say this one more time, yer worth it. If a have tae use a Sticking Charm a will."

"I'll figure out how to remove it," she said stubbornly.

"Then a'll find another one, ye'll remove it an' the cycle will continue."

"Oliver, you should take it back and get one that's less expensive."

"Ye like it, don' ye?" He questioned rhetorically. He already knew the answer but couldn't resist asking.

"Yes, it's beautiful, _stunning_."

"Then yer keeping it. So, are ye gunna let mae why a chose these gemstones specifically or not?" He arched a brow and she scowled but nodded. "Good, in the Wizarding World gemstones are generally chosen tha' are believed tae represent both the witch an' the relationship. Yer gemstones are rubies, diamonds an' tanzanite. Rubies represent love, passion, commitment, prosperity, closeness, nobility an' protection. Diamonds represent new beginnings, perfection, faithfulness, courage an' purity. Tanzanite is one thousand times rarer than diamonds an' it's a stone af transmutation, it'll change colour. It starts as a lilac-blue," he reached out, tapping the ring with his index finger. "Then it changes to a sapphire blue and it finally settles on a deep violet-blue. Tanzanite represents protection, communication, overcoming fears, happiness, knowledge an' success. These stones represent what ye are, what we are an' what a hope we'll be in the future."

Hermione smiled and tilted her head, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I really do love you, so much that it both scares and hurts me," she admitted, resting her forehead against his.

"We'll get through this Marriage Law jus' fine," he assured her. "So, when do ye wanna go shopping fer wedding rings?"

"I told you, we get them given to us by the Ministry," she drew back from him.

"Ye did," he nodded, "But ye dinnae say tha' we couldn't have our own as well, there's naw rule against tha'. We can wear the Ministry bands on our right hand an' our rings on our left."

Hermione wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down so that he was hovering over her.

"You, Mr. Wood, are the Wisest Wizard of the Age," she muttered.

He chuckled at her. "Well, a have tae be able tae keep up with the Wisest Witch af the Age, Miss. Granger."

"Do we tell people that we're engaged because we want to be or not?" She questioned.

"Whatever you want to do, Sparrow."

"I think we should do an interview or hold a press conference," she nibbled at her lip.

"Tae head aff all the rumours an' set people straight aboot our relationship," Oliver nodded in agreement. "A can have the press office at the stadium set one up fer us, we can hold it there?" He offered.

"I think that's a great idea," she smiled. "So, Madam Malkin's?" She said knowingly.

"A lied, a was picking up yer ring," he said unapologetically. "A hadn't planned on proposing tanight, a at the very least wanted tae take ye somewhere," he sounded disappointed.

"Why? The best place you could've done it is here, in our home, a place where we have privacy and comfort. A place we're making into a home. The place where our future will take place. I told you, I don't need material possessions or fancy dining. I can't think of anything more romantic than you proposing to me here," she said honestly and he smiled. "Now, back to the story."

"A dinnae want ye tae suspicious so a went tae Madam Malkin's tae buy something'."

"What?" She laughed.

"A silk scarf fer mae ma," he shrugged. "A went tae Flourish an' Blotts an' got ye some new books tae."

"Books?" She pushed herself into a sitting position, Oliver laughing as she slid off the bed and dashed out of the room and into the one opposite. She soon popped her head back through the door. "I love you," she said, her eyes shining happily.

"A love ye," he replied.

She beamed and disappeared from view, returning to the library. Oliver released a sigh and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, a smiling pulling at his face.

"Am gettin' married fer real."

~000~000~000~

It was getting late and when he checked on Hermione, she wasn't in her bed. Stepping into the library, he found her perched on an armchair and sporting blue pyjama shorts and the matching button-down shirt. A book was propped open in her lap but her eyes were fixed on her engagement ring with a soft smile on her face, and he smiled before crossing to the armchair opposite and taking a seat.

"What're ye thinking?"

She tore her eyes away from the ring and smiled at him. "Rule fifty-four,"

"Rule fifty-four?" He arched a questioning eyebrow.

"Don't let others dictate your life. You make your own choices. This law may have forced me to initially marry you, but I chose to date you, I chose to move in with you, I chose to work for Puddlemere, I chose to marry you for myself, not because I was told to."

"A chose tae date ye, a chose tae ask ye tae move in with mae, a chose tae propose tae ye meself," Oliver smiled.

"The Marriage Law..."

"Doesn't affect us," Oliver finished, nodding in agreement and sharing a smile with her. "A floo'd Coach an' he owled the press office; we've got a press conference set fer three o'clock tomorrow."

"Okay, I'd better prepare for the vultures to attack." Oliver frowned. "Don't look like that; you know they're not going to be nice. You heard the things they were asking after the attack and you read the same article I did."

He remembered perfectly well what they'd said to her and it didn't sit well with him; he'd set them straight during the press conference.

"I've been thinking about the wedding," Hermione spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind if we had a ring bearer?"

"A what?" He questioned confused.

"Someone who walks down the aisle and holds the rings for us, they're generally boys."

"Who'd ye have in mind?" He asked, already having a feeling he knew who'd she'd suggest.

"Leo, he'd love to be a part of the wedding."

Oliver smiled knowingly. "Leo, it is," he agreed, Hermione smiling widely, putting her book off to the side and standing from her chair, closing the distance between them and hugging him tightly.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 25

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Tuesday 21st July 1998**

Hermione and Oliver had caught the newspapers that morning, particularly the _Daily Prophet_ and Rita Skeeter, in particular, hadn't been kind but that was to be expected. She'd insinuated that Hermione had attacked a fan of Oliver's in a fit of jealousy, as well as two innocent bystanders who stepped in to help defend the young woman. Her next accusation had been that Hermione had Oliver under the Imperius Curse since no formal request had been made for a rematch. And going for the home run, she accused Hermione of forcing Oliver into buying her an expensive engagement ring as there was no requirement for one, evidencing it with a photo of Oliver stood outside the jewellers with a ring box in hand.

Oliver was furious, more so than Hermione and when they floo'd to the stadium that morning, he stormed down to the Coach's box like a bad-tempered hippogriff, pushed past everyone and ignored their questioning gazes as he mounted his broom and took to the sky, doing laps around the pitch. Hermione was both amused and a little worried for him but she'd been sure to send Skeeter a very _special_ gift that morning to show her appreciation.

Once she'd reached the gathered team with Quaffle by her side, their eyes seemed to do a double-take as if not believing what they were currently seeing.

"What? Do I look terrible?" She frowned worriedly. "I told Oliver I should've changed," she grumbled, tugging on the hem of her dress.

Given the press conference that was to be happening later in the day, she'd made the decision to dress up a little more than she usually did, her attempt at looking more like a suitable Quidditch wife. Rather than wearing her regular clothing of shorts, jeans and t-shirts, she'd opted for a white printed summer dress with spaghetti straps, it fell above the knees, had an A-line silhouette and a v-neck. The bodice was white and looked to be lace and had a flower print and the skirt of the dress was white with a blue floral print. She had her hair cascading down her back in shiny, thick ringlets and she'd pinned it back from her face with blue and white flower clips she'd charmed to match the dress. A white cropped cover-up jacket and a pair of white ballet pumps that had a lace patch with a floral pattern that covered the very front of her foot completed the look, and as usual, she remained makeup-free.

She had in a simple pair of diamond stud earrings that had been given to her by her parents before she'd started Hogwarts and she wore a silver necklace with a love heart pendant around her neck that fell above the valley of her breasts, of which, had been pushed up by the built-in bra in the dress. She looked beautiful. A pink tint had covered her cheeks and she shifted nervously under their lingering gazes.

"Should I change?" She questioned but received no reply.

Coach Burton rolled his eyes at his players. "No, Junior, you look beautiful," he complimented, offering her a rare smile.

"Thanks," she muttered embarrassed and he chuckled.

After drawing the attention of the players, Coach Burton presented them with a glare that had them clearing their throats and pulling their eyes from Hermione, being reminded that they should be respectful. Not only was she the partner of a teammate but she was technically their boss, too.

"Why is Wood in such a mood when you look like that?" Malloy asked, blatantly leering at Hermione. Thompson reached over and thumped him in the arm, giving him a look of warning.

"The newspapers this morning, particularly the _Daily Prophet_ ," she sighed. "Haven't you heard? I'm keeping Oliver under the Imperius Curse and I attacked his number one fan in a fit of jealousy," she rolled her eyes and Coach Burton snorted at her as she huffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, we saw it, seems like Skeeter's really got it out for you," Pallie said.

"Rule forty," Hermione offered.

"What?" They chorused in confusion.

"If ye think someone is oot tae get ye, they probably are," Oliver explained, being in hearing distance as he dismounted his broom and approached them.

He took up position beside Hermione, unconsciously reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. Seeing the display, one that hadn't happened before, eyebrows were raised.

"Don't worry, I'm giving her hell," Hermione grinned evilly. After reading that morning's article, Oliver no longer felt sorry for Skeeter, she deserved whatever Hermione was sending her way. "This morning I sent her some elf wine laced with a Love Potion, the first person she sees is going to be tormented by her. And the best part? I charmed the bottle; every time she drinks the wine, she forgets that she did, so once the Love Potion wears off, she'll drink the wine and the Love Potion's back in effect, all it takes is one sip. I'm not cruel enough to take away her control, just alter her actions a little, lower her inhabitations, the potion's perfectly legal, I made sure of it. So not only will she embarrass herself, but the rest of the staff have to suffer by putting up with her until the wine bottle's emptied." The team stared at her, surprised, horrified but also impressed. "Besides, Oliver, rule six."

"A dunno tha' one yet," he frowned.

"You shouldn't care what others think of you."

"Hermione, she said ye had mae under the _Imperius_ _Curse_ ," he gave her a look of disbelief.

"And we all know that I don't. If I did you wouldn't argue with me so much," she shrugged her shoulders.

"An' tha' she accused ye af attacking Mary an' twa innocent bystanders?"

"Wait, _Mary_ was the fan you attacked?" Bishop said stupidly, shrinking back under Oliver's glare.

"She dinnae attack anyone. Hermione was attacked by twa former classmates an' Death Eaters an' fucking Mary showed up," Oliver snapped, Hermione tsk'ed at his language.

"Didn't you know she and Oliver have something special? They love each other so much she has his jersey," she informed them, laughter bubbling from them and effectively breaking the tension that was beginning to build.

"So, what really happened?" Pallie asked.

"In short, I was attacked by two Death Eaters and Oliver's girlfriend appeared out of nowhere." They sniggered at the annoyed look Oliver gave her. "She said that for Oliver to be with her, the one he loved, I had to die," she shrugged. They stared at her. "Well, I think we should get on with training, you do have a match tomorrow, after all."

"The Wimbourne Wasps aren't going to know what's hit them," Coach Burton grinned, giving Hermione an appreciative look. "Now, get to work on those drills Junior gave you."

Oliver reluctantly released Hermione's hand and when he did several members of the team caught sight of the ring on her left hand.

"So, Wood? What's going on?" Pallie asked as they all gathered in a circle in the air after mounting their brooms and taking flight.

"What are ye on aboot?" He frowned in confusion.

"You and Hermione," he shrugged. "You seem a lot closer," he observed.

"Did you finally...?" Malloy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, Oliver glaring daggers at him. "By the way, Hermione's looking ravishing today," he smirked, enjoying riling up his team Captain.

"A swear tae Merlin, yer on the verge af gettin' a bludger tae the face," Oliver threatened.

"So what did happened?" Thompson questioned, rolling his eyes at the two of them. "I noticed a certain ring on a certain finger," he teased.

Oliver shifted on his broom. "A asked her tae marry mae."

"But you were already getting married," Kings frowned, puzzled by his words.

"We are, a asked her tae marry mae, withoot the influence or forcing as the Law. A wanted her tae mae 'coz she wanted tae."

"And what did she say?" Wilks arched his brow.

"She's wearing a ring, you prat. What d'you think she said?" Bishop rolled his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Duh," he snorted, the others sniggering at their teammate.

"But I thought Hermione didn't want a ring," Briggs commented.

"She dinnae, but she deserves a proper engagement. At first, she tried tae make mae take it back," his mouth twitched.

"Too small?" Bishop guessed, nodding knowingly. "I know how that feels, Megan had the same reaction."

"Naw, actually, the exact opposite," he replied, a pleased expression forming at their surprised expressions, likely having experienced something similar to Bishop giving their reactions. "She said it was tae expensive an' wanted mae tae exchange it fer a cheaper one. She only gave in when a threatened tae use a Sticking Charm."

"How much did you pay?" Kelsey asked curiously.

"Nine," Oliver shrugged.

"Nine hundred?"

"Nine thousand," Oliver corrected, amused by their stares of surprise.

"I spent three and a half," Martin muttered, the majority of the team nodding along as if they'd spent around the same amount.

"Why so expensive?" Fox asked.

"A had one made specifically fer her, a one af a kind ring," he shrugged.

"That's expensive, even for someone on our wage," Fisher commented.

"She's worth it," he said simply, his eyes trained on the figure below as she spoke with Coach Burton.

"That's not all that's changed," Pallie said knowingly. "You told her, didn't you?"

"Told her what?"

"That you love her." Oliver's head snapped to him, seeing the matching smirks that watched him. "There's no point in denying it, Mate, _anyone_ can see. You're not exactly subtle at hiding your feelings."

Oliver sighed in defeat. "Fine, a told her," he grumbled. "But ye don' understand, she's _so_ easy tae love. She's had tae be healed three times in the last twa weeks alone, a witnessed her collapse an' she wouldn't wake. Ye weren't there when the press hounded her, ye dinnae hear the things they asked her. 'Miss. Granger, are ye responsible fer the disappearance af Harry Potter an' Ron an' Ginny Weasley? Mr. Wood, are ye afraid ye'll be next tae disappear?'" He mimicked, scowling. "After ev'rythin' she's been through, she deserves tae be taken care af."

"What _has_ she been through?" Wilks asked in intrigue, knowing a lot of the happenings of the war had been kept secret, quiet.

"Yer'll find oot soon enough aboot the sacrifices she's made fer our world. She's gunna write books aboot the war; she wants people tae know the truth an' not the Ministry version. A think it'll help her in the long run."

"Since we're on the topic, _is_ she responsible for the disappearance of..." He never finished, Oliver's murderous glare being frightening. "Never mind," he cleared his throat.

"Nae, she isnae, ye tosser. They left her on their own accord, all they left was a note saying they couldn't deal with the pressure af the aftermath an' they left her tae deal with it alone. They left in the middle af the night like cowards, even after ev'rythin' she's done fer them. As far as am concerned, Harry Potter isnae the saviour af the Wizarding World, Hermione is, an' yer'll think the same when her books are released," with that, he flew off, signalling the end of the conversation.

The team glanced to another thoughtfully, questioningly, before following their Captain's example and starting their training routine for the day.

~000~000~000~

When the time came for the press conference, Oliver flew down to the stands and found Hermione pacing. He watched her fondly -she really did look beautiful- before he approached her.

"Ye ready tae set them straight?" Oliver asked.

She shook her head furiously, her curls bouncing about her face as she continued to pace. "No, I think I've changed my mind, I can't do this. Why did I think this was a good idea?"

Snorting, Oliver set his broom down before reaching for her hand, the moment she passed him, he grasped it and tugged her into him, wrapping his arms around her to prevent her breaking free and continuing with her pacing. Sighing tiredly, she folded her arms around him and melted against his chest, her mouth tugging into a smile when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Skeeter's been banned from the conference, she won't be there an' if she does come, she won't be allowed in. If it'll make ye feel more comfortable an' ye want mae tae, a can take the lead, a don' mind."

"Thank you" she muttered gratefully. "A don't like being the centre of attention and I hate the press even more."

"A won't stand back an' allow them tae attack yer character, a'll set them straight an' when yer comfortable, ye can step in any time ye wish."

Hermione nodded against his chest. "Are you sure I shouldn't change?" She questioned nervously.

"Sparrow, ye look beautiful, but ye could wear Trelawney's clothes an' look beautiful."

She gently slapped his arm and he chuckled; he knew she had a very strong dislike for the divination teacher, which is why he'd brought her up as a distraction.

"Let's go," Oliver drew back from her, taking her hand in his and leading her up the stands and towards the conference room, being sure to leave Quaffle behind; they couldn't risk him attacking or biting someone. "Am jus' gunna quickly use the bathroom before we go in," Oliver informed her, releasing her hand when she nodded.

When he entered the bathroom, Hermione leaned against the wall behind her, her head tipping back and her eyes closing as she folded her arms over her chest, taking a moment to gather herself. Unfortunately, the silence didn't last long, the telltale clatters of heels against the marble flooring disturbing her.

"Well, look who we have here, the deranged and violent Muggleborn." Hermione heard someone voice and she opened her eyes and resisted the urge to roll them. Approaching her were the reserve's wives.

Gina Kelsey, who had short blonde hair and dark green eyes, Ashley Fox, who had shoulder-length brown hair and dark blue eyes, Courtney Briggs, who had mid-length brown hair and grass green eyes, Penny West, who had a bob-style brown hair and hazel eyes, Rebecca McGee, who had shoulder-length black hair and dark brown eyes, Sally Fisher, with long red hair and bright green eyes, and finally, Zara Martin with her mid-length black hair and pale blue eyes. They were all tanned except for Rebecca and Courtney who had darker skin, and Penny who was paler. They were all, however, sporting unnecessarily tight and revealing clothing and enough makeup to own their own cosmetics company.

"Ladies," Hermione greeted, her head tipping back and her eyes closing once more.

"Why'd you attack that girl? Afraid that Oliver's found someone more suitable?" One of the women asked, Hermione didn't know which and she didn't care.

"Not really," she said, seeing no point in arguing with them. They'd only hear what they wanted to.

"You are aware that you look like a slag, right?" Another woman spoke, and it was at this point Oliver stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes narrowing dangerously on the group of women that hadn't noticed his presence.

"Then I fit in perfectly," she replied effortlessly, shrugging her shoulders. Oliver snorted at her reply, their attention being drawn to him at the sound.

"Hello, Oliver," Ashley Fox purred.

"Hermione?" Oliver questioned, his less than pleased expression trained on the group of witches. "As Junior Coach yer've the authority tae ban anyone ye wish from entering the stadium, do ye wish tae ban these witches in front af ye?"

Hermione snorted and lifted her head. "But what would they do if they couldn't come here and bitch about everyone?" She asked innocently, Oliver's mouth twitching. "They clearly don't have the intelligence or motivation to get a job of their own, so they come here and live off their husband's hard-earned galleons. I, however, prefer to be productive and pay my own way in life."

Was she being a bitch? Yes, she was. Did she care? No, she didn't. It was high time they received a taste of what they dished out.

Their expressions turned to outrage; Hermione didn't look bothered in the slightest.

"A role model tae young witches everywhere," Oliver nodded proudly. "Not only are ye intelligent _an'_ beautiful, but yer showing young women they don' have tae rely on a man fer a'thing in life, an' they can be independent in their own right, which is more than can be said fer ye ladies."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hermione warned, seeing Ashley Fox reaching for her wand. She must've been the leader of their little bitch circle. "Are you forgetting I'm deranged and violent? They were your words. Do you not remember what I did to Melanie and Hannah? I've created a few spells over the years, mostly practical, but I would be more than happy to create a new hex, I'll even name it after you," she said, Oliver snorting in amusement.

"If a were ye, a'd remember who yer in the presence af next time. Not only is Hermione the Junior Coach, but she's also a war veteran an' on a first-name basis with the Minster af Magic," Oliver reminded them before turning towards Hermione, smiling encouragingly. "Ready, Sparrow?"

"No,"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yer'll be fine, let's go." He held his hand out expectantly and she placed her in his.

Leaving behind the groups of outraged and embarrassed witches, he led her further down the corridor until they reached the conference room, Hermione taking a deep breath before Oliver opened the door. The moment they stepped inside, camera flashes blinded them and the crowd of reporters, journalists and columnists stood from their chairs and approached as a stampede as they shouted over one another to be heard, the security team holding them back. Hermione and Oliver walked down the cleared pathway to the raised stage and climbed the steps, stopping before the podium. As a distraction, Hermione's eyes darted about the room, seeing it was large and simple. The three walls were white with a large Puddlemere logo sat in the middle of each, floor to ceiling windows covered the entirety of the fourth wall, allowing for plenty of natural light. A midnight-blue carpet lay beneath their feet and fold up chairs were set up on the ground, creating a seating area.

Oliver waited until the crowd retook their seats and quieted before saying, "We have asked ye here taday, tae address certain matters regarding meself an' Hermione," his voice clear, commanding the attention of everyone in the room despite already having it. "If we are interrupted we will leave an' this conference will be over, we won't be taking any questions at this time, we may, however, do so towards the end."

Hermione peered up at Oliver, impressed by his confidence and commanding tone and sensing her gaze, he looked down at her, his mouth twitching into a smirk until she pinched his side in warning. He gave her hand a squeeze, his thumb running over the back of her hand comfortingly, the gesture hidden behind the podium.

"Yesterday, when we were in Diagon Alley, Hermione was attacked by twa former classmates an' a fan af mine. Their identities will not be revealed at this time but Hermione was forced tae defend herself against her attackers, an' they were later taken intae custody." Camera flashes continued to blind them and quills were charmed to quickly take down notes. "The fan tha' attacked Hermione has caused mae some problems in the past, after breaking intae me apartment, stealing some af me belongings an' stalking mae. She has taken it one step tae far when she decided tae confront Hermione, an innocent woman. This is the second time in twa weeks tha' Hermione has been attacked by me fans, the first being at her previous place af work an' by a large number af women. A will _not_ stand fer this behaviour, it's _not_ Hermione's fault tha' she an' a were matched tagether; tha' is the Ministry's doin' an' she is _not_ tae blame."

Hermione, feeling a headache forming from the bright camera flashes, tipped her head to lean against his shoulder, Oliver's mouth twitching into a smile at the action.

"The things tha' a've read in the news recently are laughable. Hermione did _not_ attack one af me fans in a fit af jealousy, she was defending herself. Hermione did _not_ force mae intae buying her an engagement ring, if am honest, a bought one as a _wanted_ tae. The fact af the matter is, she specifically told mae _not_ tae buy her one an' it was a battle an' a half tae convince her tae accept it, an' tha' was _after_ a threatened tae use a Sticking Charm on the ring," Oliver said, looking down at Hermione with a fond expression. "Hermione Granger's the most intelligent, kind-hearted an' selfless person a've ev'r met an' she doesn't deserve the treatment she's suffered so you can sell a few newspapers. Yer not only insulting both her an' mae, but yer picking away at her character an' ye should all be deeply ashamed af yerselves."

Hermione squeezed Oliver's hand, drawing his attention and she gave a subtle nodded, letting him know she felt confident enough to take over. Taking a breath, she made sure to look forward and not at the camera flashes.

"Yesterday, I was asked a series of questions and today I'm going to answer them the best I can. Do I feel any remorse for what I did? I feel awful but I did what was justified; I defended myself, but knowing my attackers were far less experienced than I was in the art of defence, I used only defensive spells, magic that would incapacitate, not harm or injure. The same cannot be said for my attackers. I had several breaks, cuts and bruises by the time Aurors arrived to contain the situation. Two of my attackers were knocked unconscious by myself, and the third attacker has a rather nasty dog bite, and he was knocked unconscious by Oliver as he arrived when the attack was in progress. The dog in question belongs to both myself and Oliver and he was protecting me. Charges aren't going to be brought against either of us."

"No, I'm not responsible for the disappearance of Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley. The night of the Final Battle, they made the decision to leave without informing anyone of their plans, only leaving a note for myself and the Weasley family, stating they wished to do some travelling now the war is over. They don't know how long they will be gone and neither do we. I don't know where they are and they haven't made any attempt to contact us or reply to any of our letters. Harry Potter wasn't just my best friend, he was my little brother and I spent seven years by his side, my loyalty unwavering. Ron was hot-tempered and he could be mean when he wanted to be but he was my best friend, too. And Ginny, she was my best female friend. I would never hurt them, not only because I don't have it in me, but they were my family."

Oliver stared down at her proudly, Hermione lifting her gaze to see his smile.

"And as for Rita Skeeter insinuating that Oliver is under the Imperius Curse..." Hermione trailed off, sighing. "Oliver's very clearly not under the Imperius Curse. Not only are there no physical signs such as the cloudy eyes or change in behaviour, but if he was, he wouldn't disagree with me so much."

Oliver snorted. "It's true," he nodded, wincing when Hermione pinched his side. "Yer asking tae be tickled," he looked down at her, knowing she _hated_ being tickled

"You're asking to be Bat-Bogied," she scowled.

"Then a'll give Harold tae Quaffle," he teased.

"Then, I'll replace your wardrobe with Chudley Cannon orange," she fired back.

"A'll re-arrange the library," he threatened, his mouth twitching at the horrified look that crossed her eyes.

"Then I'll set _fire_ to your broom," she narrowed her eyes. Hearing a throat clearing, they both turned to face forward, being reminded of where they were and the purpose of it. "See what I mean?" Hermione said exasperated. "No Imperius Curse here," she gestured to him with a wave of her hand and Oliver snorted.

"Am not afraid a'll be next tae disappear," Oliver rolled his eyes. "An' Hermione's not a violent person, there's not a mean bone in her body. She's sarcastic an' witty, but she's not malicious, which is more than can be said fer some af the wives," he muttered, Hermione pinching his side once more, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Am grateful tae have gotten matched tae Hermione, under other circumstances a likely wouldn't have met Hermione, an' a would've missed oot on someone special. A wouldn't have gotten the chance tae fall in love with her."

The crowd exploded with gasps of surprise, rushing to note everything down whilst they observed them watching each other.

"I'm grateful to have been matched with Oliver, there was a distinct possibility I could've been matched to a former Death Eater or sympathy. But I got lucky. Most people see Oliver as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors, based on his appearance, fame, wealth and status. But I don't; I'm blessed with seeing the _real_ Oliver every day, the Oliver Wood that you don't see behind the camera or off the Quidditch pitch. He's incredibly intelligent, passionate and determined. He makes me laugh and smile and he makes me cry in frustration. He's so kind, generous and humble. He can't cook to save his life and he's rubbish at anything that involves decorating, but he's brilliant at listening to me, he values my opinion, he remembers the things I say, he comforts me when I need it and he sets me straight when I'm too self-critical. We've a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. We balance each other out; where one falls, the other rises. Under other circumstances, I likely wouldn't have met Oliver, and I would've missed out on someone special. I wouldn't have gotten the chance to fall in love with him."

Hermione's eyes bore into his, seeing his expression softening and his eyes pooling with love and affection. She was sure she mirrored him. Silently, Oliver lifted the hand he was holding to his mouth and placed a kiss to the back of it before tugging her into his side and wrapping his arms around her. Her right arm wound around his back and her left hand sat against his chest, her engagement ring glinting in the sunlight. This was the type of intimacy that couldn't be forced. It wasn't for show, for the public or the Ministry, it was genuine.

"A love her," he confessed.

"And I love him," Hermione said sincerely.

"It's as simple as that," they chorused unintentionally, looking to each other in amusement.

"This Law brought us tagether, but a fell fer her all withoot any influence an' a asked her tae marry mae 'coz a wanted tae."

"I fell for him on my own and I agreed to marry him not because of the Law, but because I _wanted_ to marry him."

"As far as we're concerned, this Law doesn't apply to us. -"

"- We'll follow the rules, but we're marrying each other because we _want_ to and not because we _have_ to," Hermione finished, peering up at Oliver. "Since when do we do twin speak?"

"A dunno, it's weird, right?"

"No, it weirdly feels natural," she shrugged.

"Doesn't it?" He replied amused.

"Fred and George, look out," she agreed, Oliver snorted at her before they both turned to face forward.

"If me fans truly did care fer mae, they'd see tha' Hermione makes mae happy. A want tae be with her, a want tae marry her, regardless af hoo we were brought tagether. Me true fans would be happy tha' am happy, an' they'd stop harassing Hermione. So a ask them, leave her alone. She's done nothin' wrong an' she supports mae, she gives mae somethin' tha' a've never had befere. It's not only made mae a better Quidditch player, but a better man. A love her, an' a hate seeing her both upset an' injured over somethin' me fans did tae her."

"And with that, any questions?" Hermione asked.

The crowd burst into noise, everyone trying to be heard over each other as they stood from their chairs and waved their arms about madly, trying to catch their attention before anyone else. Hermione sighed tiredly before releasing a loud whistle, the noise soon quieting down.

"There, that's better. Let's try and act like civilised people, shall we? One at a time," she said, nodding towards a redhead with thick glasses perched on her nose, blue eyes hidden beneath.

"Mr. Wood? Lucy Miles, _Daily Prophet_. Do you believe Miss. Granger will be a suitable Quidditch wife?"

"Naw," he shook his head once. "A _know_ she'll make a brilliant wife. She disagrees with mae on this 'coz she's tae self-critical, but she'll be one af the best Quidditch tae have ev'r been seen. She has tae be productive otherwise she gets bored or she feels like she isnae putting her knowledge tae good use, which is more than can be said fer other Quidditch wives. Hermione's Puddlemere's Junior Coach, the first tae be hired by Coach Burton in his thirteen years af coaching," he stated proudly. "Most af the Quidditch wives don' even know which position their partners play," he said, taking a dig at them, still being pissed at their previous interaction. Hermione pinched his side in warning. "Hermione was hired due tae her eye fer detail, extensive knowledge af Quidditch an' her ability tae control the team. Everyone respects her an' with her being the only female on the team, she's unofficially taken on the role af Quidditch mother, she looks after us. She works us hard an' she doesn't take any bullshit from the team."

She pinched his side once more for his language, Oliver barely sparing her a glance as he nodded to a blonde witch, her shoulder-length hair falling into her dark eyes.

"Miss. Granger, Mr. Wood? Cynthia Shaw, _Witch Weekly_. What would you say has made your relationship the way it is today?"

"Well," Hermione started, "We, of course, knew of each other in school but it wasn't until recently we officially _met_ or spoke more than a few words. Given the less than ideal circumstances and the awkwardness of it, we decided it was best to do everything we could to make this easier for ourselves. We thought it best we start our relationship by dating, getting to know one another. We spent as much time together as could without being too overbearing and working around our schedules. Before I knew it, I'd fallen for him. There aren't many people that can handle my rants, pranking and threats of being hexed when he annoys me. "

"Hermione deals with me teasing, laughing at her expense as she's quite clumsy, an' me frustration when training doesn't quite go tae plan. We're honest with each other, we both put in the effort tae make this relationship work, an' we work together which's a bonus fer mae as a get tae stare at her all day," he said, the audience laughing at him and Hermione rolling her eyes. "We don' have secrets."

He nodded to a brunette, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, a quill tucked behind her ear and once poised above the parchment in her grasp.

"Miss. Granger, Mr. Wood? Leslie Johns, _Witch Weekly_. You seem to have a strong relationship; do you have any advice for other couples under the Law?"

"Advice? I'd say don't fight one another, there's no way out of the Law and there's no point in arguing. It's a waste of time and energy that could be spent bettering the relationship and getting to know one another. You may not like each other but you can learn to be civil. Children are expected, it's the main goal of the Law and no child should be raised in a hostile environment. If there's one thing you can agree on, it's that you'll love your child unconditionally and you'll want the best for them."

"An' if ye don' particularly like yer partner, when it comes tae the weekly task af consummating the marriage as per the rules, drink plenty af fire whisky," Oliver suggested, the audience laughed at him and Hermione rolled her eyes.

Hermione nodded a raven-haired wizard, some strands brushing his forehead and falling into his hazel eyes and he reached up and pushed them aside.

"Miss. Granger? Jeremy Kiln, _The Quibbler_. Rumour has it you're writing a book, is this true?"

Hermione didn't bother acting surprised that they'd found out somehow.

"Yes, it is. I'll be writing seven books in total, each based on the war and happenings that have plagued this world. I've already made some progress and I hope to have the first book published by October, November the latest. I can guarantee that what will be written will be one hundred percent the truth, coming straight from the source of someone who not only lived through it, but who was directly in the centre of it all."

Her eyes searched the room before nodding towards the white-blonde witch, her expression calm and thoughtful.

"Miss. Granger? Jenny Herts, _The Quibbler_. Why do you think Rita Skeeter was so harsh when she wrote those articles regarding yourself and Mr. Wood?"

"Oh, that's simple; she hates me," she shrugged. "But the feeling is mutual. Miss. Skeeter and I have a long history dating back to my fourth year at Hogwarts. I didn't agree with the way she was treating certain people or the way she was disregarding school and Ministry policies since she interviewed under-aged students without an adult present, and she also used a quick quote quill on underage students without an adult present, both are illegal. I was the only person to stand up to her and she hates me for it. Since then, every article she pens that bares mention of me is cruel, character diminishing and one hundred percent false. But the age of Miss. Skeeter's lies, propaganda and cruelty is coming to an end."

Finally, after a further twenty minutes, all questions were asked and answered the conference drew to a close, something Hermione was glad for.

"We would like to thank you all for coming today and we hope we have answered all of your questions, now if you will please excuse us, we have a match tomorrow and we have to get back to training to continue with our preparation," Hermione ended the conference, she and Oliver descending the stairs of the stage and leaving the room, hand in hand.

When the door closed behind them, Hermione slumped against the wall, releasing a tired sigh and Oliver chuckled.

"I don't know how you do that all the time. It was horrific, all those people staring at me and hanging on every word I said," she shivered and he chuckled. She looked up and into his amused eyes. "I meant it, you know? Every word I said."

He smiled. "Anno, as did I." He leaned forward and kissed her.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

Hermione lay on her bed, sporting her pyjamas as she stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully and Oliver appeared in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest.

"Eight?" Oliver questioned.

Turning her head, she saw him sporting a white t-shirt and drawstring pyjama bottoms.

"The smallest act of kindness can bring joy to someone's life," she answered.

"Hoo'd ye learn tha' one?"

"When I was younger, there was a book shop my parents used to visit. I loved it there, the smell of leather-bound books and paper; it was my favourite place in the world. One day, we visited and discovered that Mr. Ashburn, the owner, was selling because he couldn't afford to keep the shop running as he barely had any customers. Mr. Ashburn was a kind man and the shop had been in his family for almost seventy years. So, my parents bought as many books as they could and they told their friends, who told their friends and so on, and word travelled. After two weeks, the shop's customer base had tripled. Mr. Ashburn's sales increased and he got regular customers and he could afford to keep the shop open, preventing him from selling. I spent a _lot_ of time in the book shop during my childhood. It was a home away from home."

Smiling, he entered the room, moving to lay beside her on the bed, staring up at the ceiling just as she was doing.

So, all yer parents did was recommended a book shop an' a local family business was saved?"

"Yes, it's still there, I think he's married now and has a son. I haven't seen him since my fourth year," she shrugged. "But as I said, the smallest act of kindness can bring joy to someone's life. Look at what Fred and George did; they asked me to move in with them and in doing so, they saved me. They stopped me from falling into a pit of despair and misery; they gave me something to do with my life, a focus, a purpose. It's why they're my best friends, my family. They had no reason to do that for me, but they did," she fell silent. They laid in comfortable, companionable silence until Hermione broke it a while later. "I have something for you," she said and he turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ye dinnae have tae get mae a'thing."

"Technically I didn't, but it's a wedding gift," she responded.

She stood from the bed and crossed to her chest of drawers. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, watching as she opened a drawer, removed a small wooden box with 'For our beautiful, Hermione' inscribed in white, elegant calligraphy, and her fingers traced it softly before locating the latch. As she opened the box, a soft, soothing lullaby began playing, the gentle tinkling sound filling the quiet room as pulled something out and enclosed it in her fist and then shut the box before walking back over to the bed and sitting beside Oliver, the box sitting in her lap.

"In my family, we have a tradition," she started, reaching for his hand, turning it palm up and placing the item in his hand. His eyes fell down to it, seeing a simple gold chain with a gold wedding band attached to it.

"A wedding band?" He puzzled.

She nodded. "This belonged to my father," she told him, her tone saddened and expression softened as with his free hand, he reached for her left one. "It belonged to his father before him, and so on. Before the wedding of a Granger, the father would pass down this ring to either his son or future son-in-law, if he had a daughter. My father would've given this to you himself if he were still alive, I know he would've liked you and he would've wanted you to have it." She lifted the lid on the box and slipped her hand inside, pulling back with a matching gold chain and wedding band. "This one is mine; it's passed onto the daughter or future daughter-in-law by the mother. It's said to bring luck and bless the marriage, so that we may have a happy life and future together. When the time comes, you will pass that ring onto our son or future son-in-law, and I will pass my ring onto our daughter or future daughter-in-law," she explained, her gaze on the rings resting in their palms, and he smiled. "You don't wear them as wedding bands, everyone tends to wear them as necklaces, but if you don't want to wear it you don't have to, I just thought you should have it, and you know, continue with tradition?" She finished nervously, his smile growing wider.

"A'd be honoured tae wear it," he said softly.

Her head snapped up and she looked at him in disbelief and he chuckled.

"Really?"

He nodded. "If it's tradition, then a'd be glad tae take part."

Hermione beamed and launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Wednesday 22nd July 1998**

"So, Wood, I didn't know you had a sense of humour," Bishop commented, the others falling into a fit of laughter.

"Did you know he's humble and generous?" Kelsy teased.

"Humble and generous, my arse," Thompson snorted.

Oliver glared but knew it would be a waste of time commenting; it was better to let them get on with it until they grew bored.

"Hmm, and apparently he can't cook or decorate to save his life," Wilks said.

"But he's comforting and selfless," Kings piped up.

The only good thing to have come from the newspapers that morning was the article detailing the conference he and Hermione had done the day before. Each one appeared to be positive, highlighting their relationship for what it truly was and running damage control over previously published articles.

"What's that 'round your neck?" Pallie asked, gesturing to the gold chain he could see peeking out of his practice robes.

Silently, Oliver pulled the chain from his robes to show the simple gold wedding band.

"Hermione's wearing the exact same thing," Kings mused. "Awe, how cute, matching jewellery," he teased, the team sniggering.

"It's tradition in her family," her family.

"What? To wear matching jewellery?" Thompson questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Naw, ye prat," Oliver rolled his eyes. "This ring's been passed doon fer generations by the men in her family. It's passed on tae either the son, an' if there isnae one, the son-in-law. The rings she's wearing is passed doon by the women. It's supposed tae bring good luck," he shrugged his shoulders and tucked the chain back into his robes.

"So you've met the parents then?" Malloy spoke amused. "And how was it? Did you charm the pants off Mrs. Granger?" He wiggled his eyebrows and they laughed. "I bet you did, did she drag you off to the bedroom?"

"My parents are dead" Hermione's voice rang clear through the bellowing laughter and as soon as they heard it, the laughter halted, all of them turning their heads to see Hermione stood behind them. Oliver glared at the team before his eyes darted to Hermione, observing her carefully.

"We're sorry, Hermione, we didn't know," Thompson said, shifting his body weight nervously. Hermione gave him an understanding smile. She'd come to realise that Thompson was the nicest of the bunch. He would tease and taunt but he always knew when to stop before things went too far and he was actually really kind when you got to know him, when you broke down the defences.

"I know you didn't and it's okay. I'm learning to deal with it and move on," she said, unconsciously tugging on her necklace with a faraway look in her eyes. Her expression had saddened and they felt awful for bringing up memories of her parents. She shook her head and the sadness disappeared from her face, being replaced with a smile. "Right, I'm off."

"Where are you going? We have a match in less than four hours," Pallie frowned.

"I'm going to pick up Leo; we're heading into Muggle London so we can get him a suit for the wedding. He's going to look _so_ adorable as the ring bearer."

"Ring bearer?" Wilks mouthed to everyone and they shrugged, just as clueless as he was.

"But don't worry, I'll be back before the match."

"Is Leo coming?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, though I haven't decided if he's sitting with the twins in the family box or with me in the Coach's box yet."

"Coach said he could sit with you again?" Bishop questioned in surprise.

"Hmm, apparently he likes Leo, makes him laugh," she replied amused before turned and away, only to turn once more so she was walking backwards. "By the way, you can still grill him about my family. Just ask about the interrogation he got from Mr. Weasley and the threats he received from Bill, Charlie and the twins."

Hermione left up the stands, laughing to herself as the team soon found another topic to tease Oliver with.

"What happened?"

"Did you get punched in the face?"

"What're they going to do to you?"

"Did you get hurt in _any_ way? Please, tell me you did!"

"Did you charm Mrs. Weasley?"

"Thanks, Sparrow," Oliver muttered.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

"Hey, what're you doing back so early?" Hermione asked, looking up from the journal in her lap, a muggle pen in hand and one behind her ear.

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "Had a few drinks an' then decided a couldn't take any more af the teasing withoot hurting someone."

"You know I don't mind if you stay out late with the team?"

Oliver nodded with a smile. "Anno, what're ye doin'?" He questioned.

He stepped into the library and moved to perch on the armrest of the armchair Hermione was curled up on, whilst Quaffle was asleep on the one opposite them. Looking down at her, his mouth twitched at the sight of her still being clad in his Quidditch jersey, only now she wore pink cotton short instead of jeans.

"This is my second journal from my first year. I'm going through it and making a few changes. I've already finished my first journal which contained months September through to December and a lot's happened."

"Hmm?"

"Yes, we've had the discovery of magic, bullying, mountain trolls, jinxed brooms and cheating chasers, three-headed dogs, snowball fights and the introduction of Nicolas Flamel."

"Sounds exciting, a get tae read it first, right?"

"I don't know; you'll have to fight the Weasleys for that right," she teased and he laughed at her.

"Have ye found a publishing company yet?"

"Since the articles were released this morning, I've received a fair few owls from companies wanting to represent me."

"Really? Who?"

"Obscure Books, Whizz Hard Books, Ward Lock & Co, Merge Books, M.L Books and Little Red Books," she listed.

"D'ye know which one ye wanna go with?"

"Not yet. Obscure Books published _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. Whizz Hard Books published; _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. Ward Lock & Co have published titles such as _Shrubs and Trees for the Garden_. Merge Books have published titles such as _Advanced Potion Making_ and _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five_. M.L Books have published titles such as the second edition of _A History of Magic, Omens Oracles and the Goat, The Oracle of Palombo and The Decline of Pagan Magic._ They've also published several titles by Bathilda Bagshot. And Little Red Books have published _A History of Magic_ and _The Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles,_ " Hermione shrugged. He blinked in surprise, wondering how she knew all of that before giving his head a shake.

Hermione closed her journal and reached over to placed it on the table in front of her along with the muggle pens and then she stretched with her arms above her head.

"How are you feeling? Do you need me to heal you?"

"Am fine,"

"Oliver, you were hit by _another_ bludger" she scowled.

"But a stayed on me broom an' we won," he pointed out.

"Did we?" She said sarcastically and he rolled his eyes.

"Aye, we did. The team's improving rather well with our new training regime an' ye working us hard," he said proudly. "Now, a have a gift fer ye, sort af a wedding present. A'll meet ye in yer room," he said and before she could protest, he was gone.

Sighing, she left the library and crossed into the room opposite, flinging herself onto the bed. Barely any time passed before Oliver arrived with a small box in hand, sitting beside her.

"In me family, we also have a tradition," Oliver stated. "Ev'ry Pureblood family has a crest. When a child is old enough they're given a piece af jewellery with the Wood family crest on. When a Wood son marries, they give a gift tae their wife tae symbolise the acceptance af her intae the family. Am not entirely sure if a gift is given tae a future husband 'coz as far as am aware, only males have been born in me family an' fer the past ten generations only one child has been born," he explained, setting the small box in her hand.

As she opened it, a gasp fell from her mouth. A thin silver cuff bracelet laid before her, stamped in the centre was the Wood crest, consisting of a coat of arms with a large bear and a 'W' in the background. Under the crest, Hermione's name was written in elegant calligraphy diamonds were embedded in the silver band.

Taking it out of the box, Oliver lifted her right wrist and secured the band in place, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand once he was done.

"Me da has a ring he wears on his right ring finger an' me ma wears a broach. A have a cuff bracelet," he said, lifting up his shirt sleeve to show the silver cuff bracelet fasted around his wrist. It was identical to hers only his name was engraved and the band was thicker.

"Is that what Mary stole from your home?"

Oliver nodded. "The Minister owled it back tae mae this morning. The bear is the Wood emblem. It represents benevolence, power, peace, courage, resurrection an' sovereignty."

"Thank you, Oliver, it's beautiful," she said softly.

Usually, she would've fought accepting such a gift, but this wasn't just any random gift. It was him accepting her into his family; it was his parents accepting her into their lineage. He smiled before leaning forward to press a kiss to her mouth.

"Do ye feel up tae showing mae another scar?" He asked her.

Hermione pondered her decision. She had only three scars left to show him. The one on her left arm as a result of Bellatrix's torture, the one on her back left by Lupin and the one on her chest from Dolohov.

Standing from the bed, she crossed over to the chest of drawer, removed something, reached for her wand and then made to leave the room.

"Where are ye goin'?" He asked her confused.

"I'll be right back," she promised, heading for the bathroom next door.

She entered and closed the door behind her, moving over to the sink and staring at her reflection in the mirror. Sighing, she lifted the sleeve of her/Oliver's jersey, and then proceeded to cast several Glamour Charms. The scar was still visible only blurred somewhat, and so she covered it with the makeup she'd bought for exactly that purpose. Happy it was hidden, she lifted her gaze to her reflection.

"If you're going to show him your scars you're going to have to remove your shirt," she said to herself, seeing the anxiety on her own face. "Oh for Merlin's sake, Hermione," she scolded. "It's not as if he'll be the first person to see you without a shirt."

And he wasn't; Ginny had seen her without a shirt, as had the twins when they'd accidentally walked in on her half-dressed in the bathroom. Harry had seen her on more than one occasion without a shirt when they were on the hunt and Viktor had seen her without a shirt, too, granted, she'd hadn't had nearly as many scars back then. But this was different. This was Oliver, the man she was going to marry. He was handsome and sweet and she loved him. Logically, she knew there was no need to be nervous but she was.

"Pull yourself together," Hermione chastised, shaking her head.

Taking a breath and before she had the chance to change her mind, she returned to her bedroom, seeing Oliver being exactly where she'd left him, only he observed her carefully the moment she reappeared.

"I have three scars and these are the largest. I'll show you two more," she said anxiously, nibbling at her lip. She climbed onto the bed, moving to sit in the centre and Oliver followed after her, seeing her fiddling with the bottom of her jersey.

"Why're ye fidgeting? Yer've nothin' tae be ashamed af," Oliver said softly.

She shrugged her shoulders, avoiding his gaze until Oliver placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him. "A love ye, tha's all tha' matters. Naw more hiding, Sparrow."

"I love you," she echoed, Oliver beaming; he'd never tire of hearing her say that.

He leaned forward intending to give her a quick kiss but it soon went out of the window the moment Hermione looped her arms around his neck, flicked her tongue over his bottom lip and slipped her tongue into his parted mouth to twine and dance against his. She pulled him down on top of her and he hovered above her, his hands braced on either side of her head. Not being happy with the distance between them, Hermione tugged and he fell on top of her, crushing her into the mattress and before Oliver could register and freeze, thinking he'd overstepped the boundaries, Hermione rolled them and was promptly straddling him.

Hermione unconsciously shifted her hips, Oliver groaning and Hermione feeling a large bulge hardening in Oliver's jeans beneath her, she stilled for a moment. Should she continue? She hadn't gone any further than kissing with Oliver and their wedding night was only eight days away. She wanted to be comfortable when the night came and she loved him. Besides, she'd gone further with Viktor who'd pressured her for sex, whereas Oliver would always pull away before things got heated. With that in mind, Hermione made her decision.

Oliver was more than surprised when Hermione rolled them and rocked against him, the immediate action causing his restraint to break and for a hardened bulge to appear in his trousers. Hermione stilled above him and he wondered what her reaction would be, but before he knew it she was rocking her hips against him and he gripped her hips tightly, pushing himself into a sitting position. Their moans were caught in the other's mouths as she continued grinding against him and her hands found her way into his hair, tugging tightly.

Needing to breathe, Hermione drew back from him and pushed him onto his back with her hands against his chest, his dark, lustful eyes watching her for her next move, taking his cues from her. He certainly hadn't expected what happened next but neither was he complaining.

Hermione nibbled at her lip nervously and he knew it wasn't meant to affect him in such a way but it did; with her flushed cheeks, swollen lips and messy hair, she looked like a seductress. Slowly, Hermione crossed her arms and grasped the edge of her jersey, pulling it up over her head before throwing it off to the side. His breathing sped up, his grip on her hips tightened and his eyes widened as he tore his gaze from hers and allowed it travel down her elegant neck, over her suckable collarbone, down to her flushed and full breasts held snugly in her black and white bra and down to her taut stomach. She had never looked more beautiful with her anxious expression, lightly flushed cheeks, biting her lip and hair ruffled.

"Yer beautiful," Oliver muttered adoringly, Hermione's blush deepened.

"It doesn't bother you?" She questioned nervously.

Tilting his head in confusion, Hermione lifted her right hand and trailed her index finger down the valley of her breasts and he followed the movement with his eyes. That's when he noticed a long, thick scar that all but cut her torso in half. He lifted his hand and traced the scar with his fingers, Hermione not being able to help shuddering under his warm and gentle exploration.

"It doesn't bother mae," he promised. "In fact..." He sprang up, wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and flipped them so she was on her back and he was hovering over her, her squeak of surprise morphing into a laugh. "A think they make ye more beautiful an'..." He kissed and nibbled at her neck, Hermione sighing as she ran her hands through his hair. He moved lower, tracing the largest scar with his tongue and Hermione shuddered beneath him. "It gives mae somethin' else tae pay attention tae," he smirked.

Scowling in annoyance, she pulled him back down to her, latching her mouth onto his in a consuming kiss. Oliver was a little surprised by he was more than happy to reciprocate and kiss her just as passionately, they'd long since abandoned going about things languidly as they got lost in each other. Hermione's hands travelled down his back and she fiddled with the edge of his shirt before Oliver pulled away from her, grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head, throwing it to the floor. Hermione pulled his back down to her and his mouth latched onto her neck, sucking and biting gently at her pulse point, determined to leave a mark as Hermione's hands traced over the muscle of Oliver's back and shoulders, committing them to memory.

Hermione hooked a leg around Oliver's waist and pulled him down so that his body pressed hers into the mattress, her hand finding their way to his chest and she mapped out every muscle, ridge and piece of skin, Oliver's muscles twitching under her soft and tender exploration. His mouth returned to hers, his hands slipping over her sides and stomach before slowly bringing them up to cup her breasts, giving her the chance to stop him. She didn't and when he covered them with his hands, squeezing and kneading gently, he caught her moan in his mouth, a sigh slipped from her lips and her hips jolted forward. Oliver took that as his cue and moved his hips against her, giving them both the friction they craved.

When Viktor had groped her, it had been exactly that. Groping; it was hurried, fumbled and he'd actually hurt her. But Oliver was very different. He touch was experienced, gentle, he took his time, learning her body. Hermione was soon lowering her hand down to Oliver's jeans and she unfastened the button and zip, slipping her hand beneath his underwear and she took him in her hand. She knew he was well endowed based on the fact her hand barely fit around him.

" _Fuck,_ Hermione," he groaned in surprise, his body freezing above her and drawing his mouth from hers to stare down at her.

She put everything she'd leaned with Viktor to good use and slowly moved her hand over his length, a groan falling from his mouth and he readjusted his positioning, supporting himself on his elbows and his face burying against her neck. Hermione shifted his jeans and boxers down until his erection sprang free from its confinement and with more space for movement, she swiped her thumb over his head, gathering the leaking liquid and using it to her advantage. She made it a point to pay attention to his breathing and responses, learning what he seemed to react to and what he didn't.

Whispering a spell Viktor had taught her, a cold, wet lubricant covered Hermione's hand, making her movements easier and Oliver groaned loudly in appreciation. She added a twisting motion with her wrist and tightened her grip and Oliver bucked his hips, Hermione feeling a sense of feminine pride that she was able to affect him so. She quickened her movements to match his breathing and increased the pressure at which she gripped him and at one point, she carefully dragged her nails over him, strangled groan caught in his throat. Turning her head, she caught his earlobe between her teeth and she tugged, the action sending him over the edge.

He bucked his hips, spilling into her hand and with a muffled 'Hermione' into her neck. As Hermione removed her hand from around him, she muttered a spell to clean them both. Oliver tucked himself back into his boxers and jeans, shifted to get more comfortable and then turned his wider than usual eyes to her, seeing Hermione's anxious expression.

"Tha' was the best handjob a've ev'r had," he muttered, his chest still rising and falling a little too quickly to be normal.

Hermione snorted, giving him a look of scepticism. "Yeah, right, I know I'm nowhere near as experienced as you, so there's no need to lie to me to make me feel better."

"Honestly, Sparrow, am not lying. Where'd ye learn tae do tha'?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Viktor taught me the basics and then I just learned to do things my own way, it's instinctual."

Giving her an intensely heated look, he latched onto her mouth, his hand slowly travelling down her stomach before coming to rest at the waistband of her cotton shorts, his fingers fiddling with the material. Feeling her stiffen beneath him, he drew back from her, seeing her worried expression.

"What is it?" She shook her head, refusing to answer. "Come on, tell mae. Where did Viktor touch ye? Here?" His other hand trailed over the top of her breasts and she nodded. "Hoo 'bout here?" The other hand played with the edge of her shorts and she shook her head. "Why?"

"Because he didn't; he never reciprocated, everything was always about him," she shrugged.

His brow furrowed into an unhappy frown. "Anno ye told mae he never gave ye an orgasm," he stated, seeing her blushing at his words. "But dinnae he ev'r try...?"

"No, he told me it was a girlfriend's job to take care of her boyfriend's needs and to never expect anything in return," she blushed furiously. "He told me girls couldn't orgasm and that if they did, it would take too long to get them there."

Oliver stared in horrified surprise, his mouth parting slightly. After hearing about the way he'd treated her before, he didn't particularly like Bulgarian, but now, he was furious, horrified.

"Of course, I was only fifteen at the time and so naive, he was my first boyfriend and the only person to ever take an interest in me. It didn't bother me that he wouldn't even try because when he was satisfied, he backed off a little about pressuring me for sex. It wasn't until a year later that I realised he'd lied to me. I'd overheard a lot of girls talking about their sexual experiences and they didn't notice me as I always had my head stuck in a book, but I wasn't always reading; I was sometimes listening."

"Am sorry he treated ye tha' way, ye dinnae deserve it."

"It wasn't your fault, you've never even met him and since you're older, you'd already graduated."

"Still, am sorry. So, yer've honestly _never_ had an orgasm?" She blushed. "Not even from yerself?"

"No, I never felt the urge to, with the war going on and my hectic life, I was otherwise occupied and the thought wasn't appealing to me."

"A can help," he grinned.

"You don't have to, I probably won't be able to anyway; I can never relax and switch my brain off."

"Challenge accepted," he grinned, an arrogant look crossing his face and before she could protest, he crashed his mouth against hers and kissed her passionately.

His hands and mouth roamed her body, being sure to pay attention to kissing her neck and massaging her breasts. After a few moments, Hermione was wriggling beneath him and he trailed his right hand down to her shorts and traced his fingers along the edge. He pulled away from her, looking to her questioningly and desire her nervous expression, she bit her lip and nodded, giving her permission for him to take things further.

He returned to kissing her, his right hand slipping beneath her shorts and being sure to remain above her knickers for the time being. When he reached her centre, he sucked in a breath when he felt the damp fabric and the heat radiating from her. Moving his mouth from hers, he latched onto her neck and collar bone, rubbing his finger over her clothing covered slit, working her up. It didn't take long until she was wriggling and moaning softly, looking for more friction. He pressed his thumb again her nub and her eyes shot open, a fairly loud moan being torn from her lips and it had his length twitching.

"Hermione?" Oliver questioned huskily.

She nodded to his unasked question and he slipped his hand under her knickers, allowing skin on skin contact and he continued where he'd left off, rubbing circles over her nub and running his fingers through her slick folds. Unexpectedly, he slipped a finger into her and slowly moved it in and out of her, Hermione gasping, her back arching and body pressing into his. Carefully, a second digit jointed the first and it was soon followed by a third, stretching her tight entrance. Hermione gasped under the discomfort before it faded and she grew lost in the pleasure Oliver was giving her, something she'd never felt before.

Peering at her, she had her eyes closed tightly, her lips were parted, her breathing coming out in fast and short puffs of air and she wriggled beneath him. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Noticing the signs of her impending orgasm, he kissed her neck before he whispered in her ear,

"Let go, Sparrow, stop thinking."

He kissed the tops of her breasts before sucking on the skin and leaving a love bite on the top of her right breast. When he gave a hard push on her nub and crooked his fingers in a 'come hither' motion inside her, the coil within Hermione snapped and the dam burst. She cried Oliver's name, her hands clutching the blanket beneath her tightly, her teeth sinking in her lip.

When Hermione's walls clamped down on Oliver's fingers, he groaned under the feeling and he couldn't wait for their wedding night when it wouldn't be his fingers that were inside her. And he was more than pleased to learn that his future wife was quite loud, he'd be sure to have the apartment filled with her cries often. Hermione's body shook and she worked to get her breathing back under control and she slumped into the mattress. Oliver removed his hand from her shorts and looked at her in awe, seeing her hair covering the pillow in a halo of girls and her skin had a delightful blush going down to the top of her breasts. When Hermione was able to breathe again, her eyes fluttered open to see Oliver's pleased expression.

"Viktor's a tosser," she commented, startling a laugh from Oliver.

She gave a slight wave of her hand, whispering a spell to clean them both once more. Oliver looked to her in surprise: he hadn't imagined it, that was the third time she'd done wandless magic.

"Hermione, when a asked ye if there was somethin' else ye needed tae tell mae, why dinnae ye mention ye can do wandless magic?" He asked, giving her an odd look.

"I thought you already knew," she replied honestly. "It's not like it's a secret, I do wandless magic all the time, but it's not surprising given my ancestry of pent up Squib magic. I can do some non-verbal magic, too, and some spells I can do both but it requires a lot of concentration whereas wandless magic's easy for me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I honestly thought you'd already noticed."

"Ye never cease tae amaze mae," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her mouth.

"I could say the same about you," she smiled, pushing his hair out of his eyes and he turned, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"When do ye wanna go shopping fer wedding rings?" He asked.

"How about tomorrow after training?" She suggested, Oliver nodding in agreement.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Thursday 23rd July 1998**

Oliver woke that morning to something tickling his chin and a heavy weight on his chest. Opening his eyes groggily and blinking to clear his vision, a smile tugged at his mouth when he peered down to see Hermione sleeping soundly, her head resting on his naked chest and her arm thrown around his waist. In return, he had an arm hooked around her waist, keeping her close to him. Hermione was, too, shirtless, and he was curious to see how she'd react once she woke and realised that fact.

Silently, he allowed his fingers to explore the length of her back, feeling three raised scars. His curiosity now piqued, he tried to catch a glimpse but was unable to. When he shifted to get more comfortable, Hermione made a small sound of protest before she rolled off him and onto her stomach, Oliver taking the opportunity to look at her back. He swept her hair out of the way and instantly caught sight of the three slightly raised but faded scars in the shape of claw marks. It started at the back of her right shoulder and went to the centre of her back towards her left side, stopping opposite the centre of her left shoulder. It didn't take a genius to figure out what caused them.

Softly, he traced them with his fingers, the movement waking Hermione. Releasing a groggy grumble, she rolled to face, smiling at him sleepily.

"Morning," he greeted softly.

"Morning," she replied, stretching with her hands above her head and the movement pushed out her chest, Oliver zeroing in on it. "What're you looking at?" She puzzled.

He brought his eyes back up to hers and then flittered them back down to her cleavage. She followed his gaze, a blush darkening her cheeks.

"I don't see what so special about them," she mumbled embarrassedly, trying to cover herself with the blanket and Oliver frowned.

"They're perfect," he disagreed, his finger moving to trace the tops of the mounds.

"They're not, Viktor said they were average."

Oliver glowered. "Yer boobs aren't average, they're perfect. They're the right size tae fit in m hands perfectly, they're soft an' firm an' perky," he listed, her blush darkening.

"Why are we talking about my boobs?" She asked, partially embarrassed, partially amused.

"Ye started it," he shrugged, amused. "Ye still wanna go shopping after training tanight?" She nodded. "A thought ye said ye had a scar on yer left arm," he frowned, seeing there wasn't a mark or blemish in sight.

"There is, I've placed Glamour Charms over it and covered it with makeup to be sure it doesn't show. I don't like looking at it; it reminds me of her," she explained, her hand coming up to trace over the mark on his neck, a smug smile tugging at her mouth. Seeing this, his eyebrow raised, knowing from the attention she'd paid to his neck the previous night, she'd left a love bite.

"Don' look so smug, ye have twa; one on yer neck an' one here," he traced the bruise on the top of her right breast, chuckling at her scowl.

"This isn't the first time you've given me a love bite, is it?"

"Naw," he grinned, it didn't falter when she smacked him on the arm.

"That's why they were laughing at me!"

"Who?"

"Your mother, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley, when we went dress shopping, they were always laughing and whispering between themselves, watching me when they thought I wasn't looking." He laughed at her. "Well, payback's a bitch, just wait until the team sees _that_ on your neck," she laughed. Oliver scowled, knowing she was right.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley**

Hermione and Oliver entered the jewellers, the little bell above the door jingling as they crossed over to the counter with Quaffle sitting by the door obediently. The moment the owner stepped from the back room, his face lit up.

"Mr. Wood, Miss. Granger, what can I do for you?" He asked excitedly.

"We'd like to look at your collection of wedding bands, please," Hermione answered, smiling kindly.

"Of course, of course, this way!" He led them over to the right side of the squared 'U' shaped glass counter to where all the engagement and wedding jewellery was located. "What metal are you looking for?"

"White gold tae match Hermione's ring," Oliver replied, the owner nodding thoughtfully.

Spending a few minutes looking over the selection on show, they didn't see anything they liked or agreed on.

"You say that you wish for the wedding band to match the engagement ring?" Oliver nodded at the older man's question. "Well, we can have a wedding band made to match the ring. A white gold band with diamonds, rubies and tanzanite embedded into the metal," he said.

"And Oliver's ring?" Hermione questioned.

"If you would like the wedding bands to match, we can make Mr. Wood's band slightly thicker as customary with men's jewellery."

"I imagine that will be expensive, he's already spent far too much on my engagement ring," Hermione frowned, her eyes falling to her left hand.

"We'll have them made," Oliver rolled his eyes.

Hermione protested immediately and a few moments later, Oliver had his way and the owner drew up a quick design of what the finished product would look like, Oliver quickly signing off on the plans.

"Can we have them engraved?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, Miss. Granger, if you make a note of what you wish to be written, it will be done."

Taking some scrap parchment and a quill each, they both made a note of their intended engravings, neither looking at the other's.

"They will be ready for pickup on Monday," the owner informed them, Hermione sighing in relief they'd be ready before the wedding.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 22

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – Wednesday 29th July 1998**

As Hermione sprawled on her old bed in the twins' flat, she was keeping the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride the day before the wedding, and whilst she was at the twins', Oliver had stayed at the apartment along with Quaffle.

In less than twenty-four hours she would be marrying Oliver at sunset and as she stared up at the ceiling, Hermione thought over the last few weeks and analysed everything that had happened. She'd been forced into marrying Oliver Wood. She'd dated Oliver Wood. She'd fallen in love with Oliver Wood. And now, she was marrying Oliver Wood but not because of the law, because she _wanted_ to.

She lifted her hand, gazing at her engagement ring fondly as her thumb grazed the shiny surfaces of the precious stones, said to summarise herself and her relationship with Oliver.

And then, it suddenly hit her and she bolted upright.

"I'm getting married tomorrow," she said to herself before she climbed off her bed, walked into the living room and began to pace.

Fred and George looked up from their game of muggle cards and watched her carefully.

"What's the matter, Mia?" George asked.

"I'm getting married tomorrow," she muttered.

The twins shared a glance and then snorted.

"That's it? That's what got you wearing a track in our floor?"

"I'm getting married tomorrow!" Her voice rose as she halted in her pacing to send them a look of alarm before she resumed her pacing.

"Hermione, I don't see why you're getting yourself so worked up over this," said Fred, tipping his head in confusion.

"I'm getting married!" She cried.

"We've already established that," Fred said amusedly.

"I have no idea how to be a wife. I have no idea how to be a mother. I don't want to mess things up and have Oliver hate me. What if he gets sick of seeing me both at home and at work? We're around each other twenty-four hours a day. Oh God! I have to have _sex_ with him!"

Fred and George's amusement quickly vanished and they grimaced, their skin paling.

"Umm, Mia, maybe you should talk to someone else about this" George said, looking nauseous.

She stopped pacing and looked at them. "Like who? Who's going to talk me through the finer points of sex? I'm a virgin, this topic's awkward enough without bringing a stranger into it," she demanded furiously.

Fred and George promptly stood from the couch, George grabbed Hermione by the hand and tugged over her to the fireplace whilst Fred reached for the floo powder and Hermione was nudged into the floo and Fred called out the address and she was swallowed by the flames.

"Little girl that plays with dollies," George said out loud.

"Thinks boys have cooties and would rather eat pickled toad eyes," Fred added.

They looked at each other and nodded happily, the colour returning to their faces.

~000~000~000~

**Shell Cottage**

Hermione stumbled out of the floo and barely caught herself on the couch before she took in her surroundings, realising that she was in the comfortable, familiar living room of Shell Cottage.

"Hermione, what're you doing here?" Bill asked with a smile as he walked into the living room.

"I have to have sex!" She cried.

His eyes widened and the colour drained from his face and in that moment, he knew the twins had sent her to him.

Grimacing, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room, along a corridor, up the stairs and he pushed her into his and Fleur's bedroom before he closed the door behind her and he slumped against it.

"I'm going to kill the bastards," he muttered. He shuddered before quickly leaving down the stairs; he didn't want to be anywhere near that room giving the conversation that was about to take place.

When the door closed behind her, Hermione took in her surroundings through her watery eyes. The walls were a soft green and white, a queen-sized bed sat against the back wall with green bedding and a white vanity table sat on the left wall with a window nearby. A walk-in closet was to the left of the vanity and there was a desk on the right wall with a door to the right that was closed but Hermione presumed it led to a bathroom.

Just then, the door opened and Fleur stepped out with her long, straight blonde hair cascading down her back and she wore a pretty white summer dress.

"Chérie?" Fleur asked in confusion, seeing her stood awkwardly in the room and with tears flowing down her face.

"I have to get married and have sex!" Hermione wailed and buried her head in her hands.

"Oh, Chérie," Fleur sighed, quickly crossing over to Hermione and hugging the smaller witch gently, rubbing comforting circles on her back and muttering assurances in her ear. Soon, Hermione's cries turned to sniffles and Fleur drew back from her and guided them to perch on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know how to be a wife, Fleur."

"Nonsenze, you will be a brilliant wife, it is ezactly the same zing you are doing now, only you will be Hermione Wood, not Granger. You have notzing to worry about," she assured her. Hermione's mouth tugged into a small smile. "As for sex," she started and Hermione couldn't stop the heat from flooding to her cheeks. "You are virgin, non?"

She nodded slowly. "I'm nervous and scared. What if I do it wrong? What if Oliver compares me to other women? You've seen him, he's told me that he's been with other women and I was afraid to know how many so I never asked, but you and I both know it'll be a fair amount. I don't want to disappoint him."

"Chérie, he loves you and you love him. He iz a gentleman and he will treat you well, he will take care of you and lead you through it until you are comfortable eznough to take your own iniziative. It will likely hurt ze first time and bleeding iz natzural, so don't be embarrassed. Don't allow zat brain of yours to overthink thingz. Shut it off and relax and let yourzelf enjoy the moment," Fleur advised calmly. "Fortunately for you, I know a few owners of ze best lingerie shops in Parie, zat will stay open longer for uz."

Fleur laughed at Hermione's flushed face and not allowing her the chance to argue, she took her hand, tugged her downstairs, pressing a kiss to Bill's cheek before she floo'd them to her parents' residence in Paris.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Hermione stepped out of the floo feeling more at ease with herself, even though Fleur had dragged her kicking and screaming around Paris and into as many lingerie shops she possibly could. They'd talked a little more regarding Hermione's worries and fears and now she felt she was ready to marry Oliver. She knew Fleur was right. Oliver loved her and he would take care of her. Hermione and Fleur had purchased several items that Hermione would never admit to purchasing but upon Fleur's insistence that Oliver would more than appreciate it and that Hermione would feel comfortable, she did so.

"Are you feeling better?" Fred asked from the kitchen table where he and George were eating out of three pizza boxes.

She nodded, walked over to the table, sat down and took a slice of pizza.

"But I should slap you, she dragged me all the way to bloody Paris to go shopping," she grumbled.

George paled and Fred laughed until he realised the meaning behind her words and he groaned in annoyance.

"I'm eating here," he complained with a grimace.

"You're own fault," Hermione shrugged. "So, do you want to play some muggle board games with me for old time's sake?"

The twins happily agreed and they moved their food to the living room and Hermione summoned the muggle board games.

They spent all night and the early hours of the morning playing Cluedo, Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary, Snakes and Ladders, Jumanji and Hungry Hippos. They laughed, argued, had a pillow fight, Hermione hexed Fred for cheating and they fell asleep on the floor.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Thursday 30th July 1998**

Hermione was woken by Fleur pulling open the curtains and sunlight streamed into the room blinding her. She had no idea how she woke up in her bed given that she and the twins had fallen asleep in the living room.

"Fleur, what're you doing?" Hermione groaned sleepily. She cast a Time Charm on her wand and it revealed that it was half-past nine in the morning. Hermione groaned before burying her head under her pillow and pulling the blanket around her.

"It iz time for you to get up, we have a wedding to get ready for," Fleur said happily.

"I'm tired," Hermione grumbled.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have stayed awake all night with ze twins," chirped Fleur.

"We were having fun and reminiscing. Now, let me sleep!"

She heard Fleur's tinkling laughter and she knew she wasn't going to let her sleep.

"We have to get you ready," she insisted.

Hermione removed her head from under her pillow and looked to Fleur.

"The wedding isn't until sundown and it's summer, I've got at least eleven hours to ready. It can't possibly take that long to get ready. All I have to do is put on a dress."

Fleur tutted and shook her head. "You are in for a _big_ surprize, Chérie," Fleur laughed.

"Please, Fleur, just let me sleep for a couple more hours and I promise I won't fight you when it comes to getting ready," Hermione pleaded; she wasn't above begging.

"Makeup and hair?" The blonde confirmed.

"Yes, I won't fight, I promise." Hermione gave her the best puppy dog look she could muster and she didn't feel ridiculous in doing so. It was justified.

"Very well, I suppose as ze maid of honour, zere are some things I could do. Two more hourz," she agreed.

"Love you" Hermione mumbled as she burrowed herself back under her covers.

She heard Fleur's laughter once more before the door closed and Hermione fell back to sleep.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Oliver stepped out of the floo with Quaffle and they made their way to the Coach's box.

He was getting married today. That was the first thought that hit him when he woke to Quaffle laid across the end of his bed. The thought scared him but he was also nervously excited to be marrying Hermione Granger. But that wouldn't be her name, would it? No, it would soon be Hermione _Wood_ and that thought had his head spinning, heart pounding and length twitching. In fewer than twelve hours, he would be a married man.

He'd visited his father the night before with worries that he would mess things up with Hermione, worries that he wouldn't be a good husband, a husband Hermione deserved and after a long lecture from his father and talking things through with him, he no longer had doubts. He would do right by Hermione and he would love her and care for her. But he was particularly nervous about the wedding night... _That_ night.

He'd been with his fair share of women but they'd all been experienced, he'd never been with a virgin. Simply because he didn't want the responsibility of taking such a thing and he didn't want to deal with the witch potentially becoming attached to him. But Hermione was different. She was a virgin and she was giving that part of herself to him. He knew from his Hogwarts days when his friends would talk about their conquests that a girl losing their virginity hurt. He didn't want to hurt Hermione but he knew it was inevitable, so he would do whatever it took to make her comfortable, to make it as painless as possible and to show her that he loved her.

As Oliver made his way down the stands, the team began cheering loudly and applauding.

"Here he comes, Mr. Oliver Wood, in his last few hours as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors!" Pallie called. Oliver snorted and rolled his eyes. "He'll soon be joining as the final member of the Puddlemere team to settle down and we'll be sad to see him let go of his bachelorhood, as we'll no longer be able to live vicariously through him. Hear the single women weep as Oliver Wood will be officially off the market," Pallie sighed dramatically.

"Thank ye fer the eulogy af me bachelorhood," he replied amusedly, "A cannae wait tae hear the best man speech."

"Oh, it will be enlightening," Pallie promised with a smirk.

Coach Burton slapped him on the shoulder. "How are you feeling Wood? Cold feet?"

"Even if he did, it's not like he has a choice of leaving our delightful Junior Coach at the altar, now, is it?" Bishop interrupted and they snorted.

"Nae, a don' have cold feet. A feel... Well, a don' know hoo a feel, a guess it's still sinkin' in," Oliver shrugged.

"You'll do fine. Have you written your own vows or gone traditional?" Coach asked.

"Hermione wanted us tae write our own but the law requires specific vows tae be recited so we're gonna do both."

"Well, the only thing you have to worry about is forgetting your vows. Everything else is left up to the bride and wedding planners," Coach chuckled. "We'll be finishing an hour early so we can leave and ready for the ceremony," he told everyone and the team cheered at the news.

"When's the ceremony again?" Thompson asked.

"Sunset, sometime 'round eight-thirty tonight. Guests should arrive an hour befere. An' a warning, this is Hermione's day. If yer partners so much as look at her the wrong way, a'll have them thrown out an' they'll be banned from the stadium," he said, his gaze darting between each of them and the team nodded in understanding.

"Right, let's start training, continue with the drills Junior gave you yesterday," Coach Burton ordered and the team flew to their positions but he kept Oliver back.

"Legally, you are obligated to take tomorrow off and I've spoken to the big bosses and they've agreed to give you Saturday off without taking it from your allotted amount of paid leave," he said but Oliver looked about ready to argue, "Just enjoy the weekend with your _wife_ ," he said, sending Oliver on his way.

~000~000~000~

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes**

Hermione was awoken by Fleur for the second time that morning, pulling the blanket off her and the sudden temperature change made Hermione shiver and goosebumps erupted over her skin.

"Five more minutes," Hermione mumbled.

"I gave you two more hourz and now you _have_ to get up," Fleur commanded.

"Why don't you go and torture the twins?" She half murmured, half cried.

"Zey are sleeping. Zey are not on a schedule like you are, and zey will wake long before the wedding on zer own. But you are much too busy, so get up!"

"I don't wanna," Hermione whined sleepily.

"Very well, I was hoping it would not come to zis," Fleur sighed, drawing her wand and mumbled a spell in French. Hermione bolted upright and yelped when an electric shock rocked through her body.

"That was mean and uncalled for," Hermione scowled and Fleur laughed lightly.

"It was justified," she argued, "Now, get up, we have plenty to do and not a lot of time to do it. "First we will eat lunch at ze Burrow, zen we will focus on nail care, I have a friend flooing from Parie to come and give uz massages, then we'll be having a home spa experience, followed by a relaxzing bubble bath, makeup, dressing and hair. Then we have to pose for ze photographer, ensure that everyzing iz going to plan, followed by you getting married."

Hermione blinked dumbly.

"Can you repeat that again but slowly?"

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

Hermione felt herself sink into the bathtub filled with bubbles and her favourite scented oils. Her entire body was relaxed after her massage and she could've very easily fell asleep in the hot water but decided against it, fearful of Fleur sending more unknown French spells her way. She stayed in the bubble bath for close to thirty minutes before she clambered out of the bathtub and hopped in the shower, washing away the bubbles, washing her hair and going about her usual routine and shaving her legs and underarms.

Stepping out of the shower, she slipped on the soft, fluffy bathrobe Fleur had left for her and she wrapped her hair in a towel and put on the fluffy slippers. Using her wand, she cast as many Glamours as she could to cover her scars before she headed to her old room at the Burrow, stepping through the door to see it had been transformed. All of the furniture had been shrunken down and placed in a box out of the way, a large vanity table and padded stool were positioned in the centre of the room with a wooden table off to the right that was filled with makeup and hairstyling products. There was a smaller vanity table off to the left of the one that was clearly meant for Hermione and there was a large mirror in the corner of the room that had been covered with a sheet and there were four clothing bags hung up on pegs on the wall.

Fleur was stood over the table rearranging the products on the surface and she was wearing a bathrobe similar to Hermione's, a pair of slippers and her hair was left damp, hanging down her back. Fleur looked up and smiled, ushering her to the seat in front of the larger vanity and as soon as Hermione took her sear, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood entered the room, also wearing bathrobes and slippers.

"Let's get tae work," Mrs Wood said excitedly.

With that, Fleur set to work on Hermione and Mrs. Wood set to work on Mrs Weasley and Mrs. Weasley dressed in the bathroom whilst Mrs. Wood attended to her makeup and then she left to get dressed, too.

When they returned, they turned their attention towards fixing their hair before they left to check on the progress of the setup for the ceremony, all of the males being put to work to ensure it was all done quickly and efficiently, whilst the day before they'd been readying the reception venue at Wood Manor.

Once Fleur deemed Hermione beautified, Hermione moved to sit on the other vanity and Fleur took her seat and tended to her own makeup and once they were both finished, Fleur dressed in the bathroom in her bridesmaid dress, it fitting to her beautifully and complimenting her skin tone wonderfully. After making sure her dress was smoothed out and wrinkle-free, she helped Hermione into her wedding gown.

Fleur wouldn't let Hermione see her dress in the mirror until her hair had been done, so she removed the towel and dried Hermione's hair, styling it how she seemed fit. She left it to spill over her shoulders and down her back in soft, pinning it back and out of her face with pretty pins before something was placed atop her head.

Hermione used a little amount of makeup to cover the slur on her arm and once she was satisfied it couldn't be seen, she was ushered towards the large mirror, the sheet being removed and Hermione gasped when she saw herself. She had been completely transformed.

Fleur was gifted when it came to Altering Charms so Hermione wasn't all that surprised that her gown fit her perfectly. When Hermione lifted her eyes, it was to see a halo of white peonies and blue hydrangeas sat atop her head with her veil being clipped to it. Thankfully, Fleur had gone for a natural look knowing Hermione wouldn't be comfortable with wearing heavy makeup, and she was sporting a nude-coloured eye shadow that sparkled in the light, a light pink lip stain, a clear coat of gloss over the top and a faint blush covered her cheeks thanks to a small amount of blusher, and with a wave of her wand, Fleur charmed Hermione's makeup to stay in place until the next morning. For jewellery, she wore her diamond-studded earrings and her gold necklace with her mother's ring on and it rested over the valley of her breasts which had been pushed up considerably, largely to the dress and bra.

Hermione scrutinised herself and for the first time in her life, she felt beautiful and it she didn't what anyone might say or think. Before Hermione knew it, Fleur was helping her step into her heels that were fitted with Comfort and Balancing Charms and she readjusted the train of the dress.

"You look beautiful, Chérie," Fleur complimented with teary eyes.

"Thank you, I feel beautiful."

With the ceremony due to take place within the hour, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood returned to the room and they gasped and rushed to Hermione, exclaiming how stunning she looked and Hermione blushed furiously at their compliments.

As the men were getting ready, Hermione was handed her bouquet of blue and white peonies and hydrangeas tied with a blue silk ribbon, before she was ushered out of the room and onto the grounds of the Burrow to meet with the photographer. Usually, Hermione felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight and having her picture taken but her smile came naturally that day with her feeling the way she did and surrounded by the people that she loved and cared for.

After having photos taken by herself with Fleur, Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Wood and as a group, the twins made an appearance with Leo by their side. Fred and George were wearing identical dark blue muggle suits with white shirts, matching dark blue ties and waistcoats and black dress shoes. Leo was wearing a muggle suit, a shade lighter than the twins with a white shirt, the same blue tie and black dress shoes.

"You look..." They trailed off, speechless.

Hermione's smile widened. "Thank you," she said shyly. The twins being lost for words was the only compliment she needed.

They walked towards her and simultaneously they each kissed a cheek and she smiled, and at that point, they heard and saw the telltale sign of a camera flash and the photographer looked pleased with the memory he'd just captured. The twins drew back from her smiling proudly before more photos were taken now that they'd arrived.

"Leo, come here," Hermione called softly, holding out a hand for him expectantly.

He crossed over to her shyly and he took her hand, looking up at her. "You look really pretty, Hermione," he said with a blush.

"Thank you, Leo. You look very handsome," she smiled as she straightened out his tie. "Would you mind being in some of the wedding photos?" She asked and Leo's eyes widened.

"You want me to be in the photos?" He asked in surprise. Hermione nodded, smiling. "But won't Mr. Wood be mad?"

"No, Leo, he won't be mad. I suspect he would want to have some photos taken with you, also. You're a very special part of the wedding ceremony," she replied.

"I won't let you down, Hermione," he promised, hugging her around the waist tightly.

"I know you won't."

When Leo drew back from her, he was arranged into the photos, having photo's taking singly, with Hermione and the others, and then the time came for Hermione to return to the Burrow as the guests had long since started arriving and the photographer needed to take photos of Oliver and his wedding party.

Hermione and Fleur returned to her old bedroom and everyone else went about their tasks, Leo greeting guests with Fred, George and the rest of the Weasley men and Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood doing last-minute checks.

~000~000~000~

Oliver arrived at the Burrow with Pallie and Quaffle in tow. His father and Mr. Weasley were waiting for them. Whilst Oliver was dressed in his newly altered suit, Pallie wore a black muggle suit with a white shirt, a blue tie to match Oliver's and black dress shoes. Mr. Wood was wearing a black muggle suit, a white shirt, black tie and black dress shoes and Mr. Weasley had opted for black formal dress robes, a white shirt, black trousers and black dress shoes.

"Ye nervous?" His father asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"A little," Oliver admitted and his father and Mr. Weasley chuckled at him.

"That's normal," they chorused.

"The photographer's waiting for us and the guests are arriving, we need to get the photos done and then we simply wait for the bride," Mr. Weasley said.

Oliver nodded and looked down at Quaffle. "Go find Hermione, Quaffle," he ordered and Quaffle barked before he sniffed the air and ran in the opposite direction, with Mr. Weasley then leading them out of the Burrow and to the same place Hermione had her photos taken.

Oliver smiled for photos by himself, with Pallie, his father and Mr. Weasley and they had group photos and it didn't take long before they made their way towards the lake where guests were being greeted and seated.

Oliver looked around, the sun had yet to set and it was shining against the water of the lake, the sky reflecting on its surface. Blue twinkling fairy lights had been placed in the surrounding trees and they glowed faintly in the daylight but he imagined they would be brighter when the ceremony started and the sun had set. There were white chairs on either side of the aisle with white and blue silk swatches attached to them and a white carpet had been rolled out for the aisle and a charm cast on it to make it seem as though you were walking on concrete, something he suspected was done for Hermione, so her heels wouldn't get caught in the mud. Tipping his head, he saw the familiar balls of light glowing softly in blues and white, something he recognised as being Hermione's spell work. At the end of the altar stood a white podium where the Ministry Official would stand during the ceremony.

"Not bad, very cosy," Pallie said, clapping Oliver on the shoulder.

"Hermione dinnae want a big wedding, neither do a fer tha' matter," he shrugged before he was pulled away to talk to some of the guests.

"Leo," Oliver greeted with a smile, the young boy approaching him as he helped to greet the guests.

"Mr. Wood," he replied nervously.

Oliver chuckled. "Ye can call mae Oliver; Mr. Wood's me father an' a don' wanna get confused. It doesn't take much," he said and Leo let out a sigh and laughed.

"He's right, it doesn't!" The twins replied and Oliver scowled at them, causing the rest of the Weasleys who were greeting guests to laugh loudly.

"Have ye seen Hermione already?" He asked Leo.

He nodded. "She looked very pretty," he said with a blush.

"A imagine she would," Oliver smiled.

"No you didn't, Wood," said Charlie as he approached, taking his hand and shaking it. "It's been a while."

"It has," Oliver agreed.

"Anyway, Little Leo's joking. You're going to get the shock of your life when you see Hermione, I caught a glimpse of her on my way down here and I almost walked into that tree over there," he gestured with a jab of his thumb and his siblings laughed at him.

"He did!" The four Weasley boys chorused in agreement.

"I'm glad to see everything is going to plan."

Turning to look over their shoulders, they saw Kingsley Shacklebolt approaching with a toothy smile.

"Minister, what're ye doin' here?" Oliver questioned in surprise whilst Leo's eyes widened at seeing the Minister of Magic in person and up close.

"I am the Ministry Official performing the ceremony."

"Is tha' normal?"

"No, but Hermione is a friend and I thought this might be more comfortable for her rather than a stranger."

"So it's not 'coz ye wanna put us on a podium an' parade our marriage tae the public?" He challenged.

"No, I dare say you have already helped with the press conference you held," he chuckled before shaking Oliver's hand, giving those present a smile and then leaving to take his place at the podium.

It was around that time that the remainder of his teammates arrived with their partners, some of them having opted for muggle attire and the others formal robes. Oliver wasn't surprised to see their partners had chosen to wear dresses that were tight and revealing but he didn't comment as he realised they were more covered than they were when they were at the stadium. But there was one witch, in particular, that caught his attention. It wasn't due to the style of her dress, rather the colour. Melanie, Malloy's girlfriend, was wearing white.

Oliver's brow pulled into an unpleased frown. He didn't know much about weddings but even he knew only the bride wore white, for someone else to do so was disrespectful. But before he could comment on the fact, his mother walked past and flicked her wand in Melanie's direction, her dress changing from white to a dark blue. As Melanie gasped in outrage, his mother sent him a wink over her shoulder and Oliver's felt his mouth twitching.

"Don' even bother opening yer mouth," Oliver warned, his tone too calm to not be drawn by it. "What me ma did was justified. Ye purposely wore white tae spite Hermione but let's get somethin' perfectly clear; this is Hermione's day, not yers. Ye were invited oot af courtesy tae me teammates an' friends, somethin' Hermione had insisted upon despite me wishes. If any af ye attempt tae ruin this day fer her ye'll be removed an' prohibited from entering Puddlemere United grounds. Tha' goes fer petty looks, behaviour an' comments. tae. Do a make meself clear?" He asked, his eyes darting between the women and whilst it was clear they were irritated with his rules, they kept their mouths shut and nodded.

"Nicely said!" Bill called from his place where he was greeting some of Hermione's friends from Hogwarts.

"Oliver, you're needed at the altar now, Mate...Sun's beginning to set and you're getting married," Pallie said.

Oliver took a breath and nodded. "The Weasleys will show ye tae yer seats, now, if ye'll excuse mae, a have tae get married."

"Go and get 'em, tiger!" Thompson called.

Oliver halted in his retreat and twisted to look behind him, Thompson winking at him and making a clawing motion with his hand whilst he growled. They burst into laughter and Oliver shook his head, laughing to himself as he continued towards the altar.

He came to a stop with Pallie on his left and they casually chatted whilst he shifted nervously. His mother came over to him, pinned the wedding flowers to his suit and repeated the process with Pallie. Before she left, she kissed Oliver on the forehead earning 'awes' and sniggers from the team and a glare from Oliver. Not long later, Oliver caught sight of the twins leaving along with Leo and he knew that it was almost time.

And he was right, because barely fifteen minutes later, the sun had set and the fairy lights and Hermione's lights were twinkling and glowing softly under the clear, starry night sky and the guests stood from their seats as the wedding march played.

Oliver's eyes locked on Leo as he proudly walked down the aisle with a white silk cushion in hand, sitting two matching wedding bands, and when he reached the end of the aisle, he stood next to Pallie who high-fived Leo and ruffled his hair. Next down the aisle was Fleur and she was wearing her bridesmaids dress and carrying a bouquet of blue and white peonies and hydrangeas with a white silk ribbon wrapped around it.

Unexpectedly, Quaffle waltzed down the aisle with his tail wagging happily and looking like he owned the place, being dressed in a black suit. The guests laughed and gushed at how adorable he looked and the photographer couldn't resist snapping a photo. Oliver chuckled and shook his head; he should've seen that one coming.

Finally, it was Hermione, being escorted by Fred and George who were supporting identical beaming smiles.

When Oliver saw her, his breathing halted as the air was knocked from his lungs, his eyes widened, his mouth dropped open and all of his nerves washed away. She looked absolutely breathtaking in her gown and with a halo of blue and white flowers placed atop her head. She looked like an angel. His angel. His sparrow. His Hermione. His _wife_. She was his and no one else's and his chest pooled with love and affection as he watched her slowly approach him, supporting the biggest smile he'd ever seen grace her beautiful features.

"You're drooling," Pallie leaned in closer.

Oliver took no notice of his words and his attention never strayed from Hermione. Pallie laughed and then leaned over, and in a comical manner, he closed Oliver's mouth until his teeth clattered and the guests laughed softly.

"Told you she looked pretty," Leo muttered and Pallie laughed at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, she really does," he agreed. "You lucky bastard," he muttered to Oliver.

When Hermione finally reached the altar, the twins pressed kisses to her cheeks and she smiled at them with tears in her eyes before she handed her bouquet to Fleur and she was handed off to Oliver.

"You look breathtaking," he muttered.

"Thank you, you look very handsome," she replied, her eyes boring into his and her cheeks flushing pink.

~000~000~000~

Hermione stepped into her old bedroom with Fleur and they took seats and casually talked but when she heard a scratching at the door, she stood and crossed over to it, smiling when Quaffle darted into the room, barking happily to see her. She shut the door and crouched down but he must've known to be careful as he sat with his tail wagging and he didn't attempt to jump up at her as he usually would, once more proving how incredibly smart her puppy was.

"I missed you," she smiled and Quaffle barked in response, thankfully licking her hand and not her face, otherwise Fleur would've been furious. "I have something for you," she said before standing and crossing to her beaded bag, removing the little doggy tux she'd bought him. Fleur laughed softly at Hermione and shook her head. "What? He's my baby and a part of this wedding," she said in defence.

After Quaffle was brushed and Fleur placed a sweet-smelling charm on him, he sat patiently and allowed Hermione to dress him and when she stepped back, he looked adorable. He had on a white shirt and black suit jacket that had his two front paws in and it reached to the middle of his back and he had a black bow tie around his neck. They gushed over him and Quaffle lapped up the attention happily.

Mrs. Weasley stepped into the room and drew their attention and after briefly cooing over Quaffle, she turned to Hermione saying,

"I have a few things for you. I know muggles have wedding traditions, and I thought that we could incorporate them. So, for something new and something blue, Oliver bought this for you."

She handed Hermione the black velvet box and she gasped softly when she opened it to reveal a lilac-blue tanzanite tennis bracelet.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, Fleur taking it from her and fastening it around her left wrist as she wore her Wood cuff bracelet on her right.

"Finally, is something old and something borrowed," Mrs Weasley said and she handed her the velvet last box. Hermione opened it and her eyes watered as the sight of the simple silver necklace that sat a small teardrop diamond. "I wore this on my wedding day, as did my mother and grandmother and so on. It is a tradition in my family, I have always considered you my daughter and I would like for you to wear this on your wedding day, as my daughter."

Hermione waved her hands over her face in an attempt to stop the tears from falling because Fleur would kill her if she ruined her makeup and they laughed at her.

"I would be honoured," Hermione whispered, sniffling when Mrs. Weasley slipped the necklace around her neck and fastened it in place, it falling just above her mother's ring.

The sun had now set and there was a knock on the door before the twins entered. "It's time," they chorused.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded before reaching for her bouquet and she left for the ceremonial site. They were hidden behind a group of trees and when the music started, Leo went first being followed by Fleur and Quaffle and then it was Hermione's turn.

"Are you ready?" Fred asked.

"Yes, let's get me married," she nodded.

"We're glad this worked out for you, Hermione, you deserve it," he smiled.

"Thank you. They should be here," she said sadly.

"Yes, they should be" George agreed angrily.

"But you have us," Fred remarked.

"Yes, I do, and I wouldn't trade you two for the world," she promised. They smiled at her. "I love you both."

"We love you, too," they chorused.

She took their proffered arms and they walked out from behind the trees and slowly ascended the aisle, briefly hearing gasps and mutters but she took no notice as she examined the beautiful scene that was her wedding.

The team and their partners along with Coach Burton and his wife were on the left and the Weasleys and Woods were on the right along with Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan, as well as Headmistress McGonagall and some of her professors and there were other guests scattered around in the seats. She smiled at the guests as they looked at her in awe and then she turned to the team and they were all looking at her with soft smiles and wide eyes and their partners scowled. By the time she reached Oliver, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood were crying and their husbands held their hands, trying to offer comfort. Percy, Bill and Charlie were beaming at Hermione and Oliver hadn't taken his eyes off her. She had to stifle a giggle when she saw Pallie reach over and close his mouth.

When she took Oliver's hand and he whispered how breathtaking she looked, her whole body tingled and loved and warmth swarmed her. She whispered her reply and then she turned towards the podium, being pleasantly surprised that Kingsley was their Ministry Official.

"We are gathered here today to witness the holy matrimony of these two young people before us. Marriage is not easy. At times it can be difficult, gruelling, exhausting and painful. The relationship will see arguments and bad tempers but it will also see kindness, friendship, love and devotion. You have all witnessed the love that Hermione and Oliver share for one another and now they have asked you here to share in the union and sealing of their love," Kingsley spoke loudly for all to hear, his smile never wavering. "Before I continue, I must ask if anyone has a reason as to why these two may not marry."

"How about it's against the law?" Hermione cheeked, rolling her eyes and the audience filled with laughter and sniggers.

"Well said," Kingsley tipped his head in acknowledgment, his eyes twinkling.

As he opened his mouth to continue, a hex whizzed towards Hermione and catching it from the corner of her eye and acting on instinct, she pulled her hand from Oliver's, drew her from the concealed pocket she'd had Fleur charm in her dress, and she easily blocked it, the hex rebounding in the opposite direction until it collided with the ground.

"SHE CAN'T MARRY HIM BECAUSE HE'S MINE" Mary, Oliver's number one fan, shrieked in fury.

"I'm pretty sure your girlfriend wasn't on the guest list," Hermione said lightly and Oliver scowled at her whilst her family and the team sniggered.

Sighing, she flicked her wand, sending the Bat Bogey Hex to Mary and she ran in the opposite direction crying and screaming whilst a couple of Aurors that were posted around the ceremony for security followed after her and the guests cheered and applauded Hermione. She bowed and Oliver laughed at her before she stowed her wand and retook his hands.

"Feel free to continue," she said.

Kingsley chuckled, before saying, "First, we will repeat the traditional vows and after I believe that Hermione and Oliver have written their own?" They nodded in confirmation. "Excellent. Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honour and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?"

"I do," they chorused.

"Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?"

"I do," they repeated.

"You may say your vows, Oliver?"

Oliver cleared his throat, took a calming breath and his eyes bore into Hermione's as he said, "Sparrow, I promise to do right by you, to protect you and to take care of you. I promise to love you with everything I have in me and I promise to always be by and on your side. I promise to make you laugh when you need it, to comfort you when you are sad and to allow you to hex me when I upset you." The crowd laughed and Hermione gave a watery smile. "I promise to listen to your long-winded rants, to put up with your pranks and to never abandon you. I promise to stay away from the kitchen..." Again, the crowd laughed as did Hermione. "And I promise to never keep secrets from you. I will put you before all else and I will cherish you even in death," he vowed.

Hermione sniffled as did some members of the crowd.

"Hermione?" Prompted Kingsley.

"Oliver," she sniffled, "You know how to push my buttons and make angry, sad and happy all in the space of a heartbeat. You're a rubbish cook, terrible at decorating and dreadful at singing," she listed and the crowd chuckled as did Oliver. "But that's why I love you. You don't hide from me, you allow me to see your imperfections and vulnerabilities and I feel comfortable with you seeing mine. I know that you won't judge me for my decisions and actions and I know you'll support me. I promise to support you in your endeavours, in your career and in your life. I will make you laugh, I will comfort you, and when the situation calls for it, give you a major hexing." The crowd laughed and Oliver chucked. "I promise to run to my older brothers when you make me sad and I promise to do nothing when they retaliate." Once more, the crowd laughed and Hermione heard noises of agreement from the twins, Charlie and Bill. "I promise to love you until my last breath and to carry the love I have for you into the afterlife, where I will wait for you to return to me," she vowed.

Hermione heard more sniffles and Oliver looked to her with love and devotion. Kingsley reached for a white silk ribbon and stepped closer to Hermione and Oliver, lifting their clasped left hands and tying the ribbon around them. Drawing his wand, he mumbled a spell before the ribbon glowed and then it was removed. He then gestured with a kind smile for Leo to approach, and he did nervously.

"These rings, symbolise the love, friendship and honesty between Oliver and Hermione." He turned to Hermione and she reached out to pluck Oliver's ring from the cushion. "Hermione, do you take Oliver Charles Wood, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Hermione answered without hesitation and if it was possible, Oliver's smile would've widened as she slipped the ring into place. On the inside of the band, she had 'Oliver, I will love you for always' engraved.

Oliver took Hermione's ring and smiled at Leo as he stepped back into place beside Pallie.

"Oliver, do you take Hermione Jean Granger, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he replied just as hastily and Hermione beamed as he slipped the ring into place in front of her engagement ring. On the inside of the band, he had 'Sparrow, my love for you is infinite' engraved.

"Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have, the gifts of your lives united. And may your days be long on this earth. By the power invested in me as the Minister of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The crowd stood and cheered loudly as Oliver tugged Hermione to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly and hers looped around his neck.

"I love you," they both mumbled before their lips touched in a soft, languid, passionate kiss.

They slowly drew back with smiles as Kingsley aimed his wand above, a bright golden light jetting from the tip of his wand and it burst into gold particles high in the sky with the crowd being showered with the remains.

Hermione and Oliver both gasped loudly and clutched at their left wrists and they stumbled back, being caught by Fred and Pallie. The cheers died down and they looked at Hermione and Oliver worriedly.

Hermione and Oliver looked at each other before they removed their hands and looked down at their left wrists.

Their eyes widened when they both saw they had matching ivy and rose tattoos winding around their wrists. The roses and ivy twined together beautifully in the golden glow, and on Hermione's wrist, Oliver's name was written in the middle surrounded by the roses and ivy, and on Oliver's wrist, Hermione's name was written in the same way.

They darted their eyes to each other in confusion, Hermione holding her wrist into the fairy lights above to see it shimmer and sparkled.

"Is this normal?" Hermione asked.

"No," was Kingsley's replied and he looked at Hermione and Oliver with a smile. "Do not trouble yourself with this Hermione, I assure you that this is not a bad thing and it will not cause you any harm. In fact, it is a good thing. But I would wait until _after_ the reception to research it," he chuckled knowingly, and then he turned his attention to the crowd seeing the parents were all sharing knowing, if not surprised, smiles. "May I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and Hermione Wood," he smiled to the sound of the crowd cheering. Hermione, taking Kingsley's advice, turned to Oliver and smiled widely and he did the same before he pulled her back to him and kissed her again.

Port-keys were handed out and everyone left for Wood Manor with the twins taking Quaffle and Leo with them. Kingsley, Hermione and Oliver were the only ones left.

"Are you sure this is nothing to be concerned about?" Hermione asked, gesturing to her left wrist.

"I am positive. When you do your research you will see for yourself. What happened here tonight is an incredible thing," he smiled and Hermione sighed and looked at Oliver to see he appeared to be relieved as well.

"Why was Mary able tae get in?" Oliver asked annoyed.

"She was released on bail last week until her trial. I am not certain how she was able to get past security or how she learned the location of the ceremony, but I will have an investigation launched," Kingsley assured them before he handed them their ministry appointed wedding bands and they slipped them onto their right ring fingers.

"They will change from silver to gold when the marriage has been consummated," he informed them and Hermione's ducked her head, her cheeks flushing pink. "A Ministry Official will visit you within the next seventy-two hours to go over the rules and regulations of the law and to ask questions. But don't expect them until after Friday."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Manor**

Hermione and Oliver port-keyed to Wood Manor and Oliver caught her around the waist and steadied her as she lost her balance and wobbled in her heels. When she lifted her gaze to see him smiling down at her, she couldn't resist pressing her lips against his and he responded by pulling her flush against him but Hermione pulled away all too soon for his liking and he made a sound of disapproval.

"We have a reception to get to," she reminded and he sighed before releasing his hold on her and taking her hand, leading her along the pathway until they came into the view of the guests and they cheered and clapped loudly as they made their way through the crowd-throwing-confetti and to the very first table where their family and Leo sat and Quaffle was sat next to Charlie by his chair.

There were close to twenty round tables that had white table cloths and blue and white centrepieces with white chairs surrounding the table. The night sky was perfect with the same twinkling fairy lights bathing the grounds in a soft glow. There had been a dance floor charmed onto the grass and the tables and chairs sat on the even ground with a large space left for dancing in the centre.

Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself; she'd cooked a buffet of Hermione and Oliver's favourite foods with there being lamb, beef, pork, mash potatoes, vegetables, soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches and pies, and for dessert, there were cookies, cupcakes, biscuits, ice cream and chocolates.

Hermione reluctantly agreed to allow the house-elves to serve everyone given that they looked so happy and adorable in their waiter's outfits and Oliver kissed her forehead when she did so.

They all ate and chatted, with Quaffle being fed under the table as usual, until it was time for their first dance. They'd decided on a combination of muggle and wizarding music for the reception, but they'd chosen a muggle song for their first dance, _From This Moment On_ , by Shania Twain.

They made their way to the dance floor and everyone watched them silently as the music began and they moved slowly around the dance floor, Oliver easily guiding Hermione in their movements as they were lost in their own little world as they stared into each other's eyes.

"You know, this is the first time we've danced together," Hermione told Oliver.

"A guess it is," he said thoughtfully. "Well, unless ye count tha' day we were decorating," he added and Hermione laughed lightly.

"You're really good," Hermione noted, laughing when he spun her out and brought her back to him, catching her and falling back into step with ease.

"Why, thank ye, _Mrs. Wood,_ " he smiled down at her and Hermione's smile came easy. "A was forced tae learn as a child. Most Purebloods are," he shrugged.

"So, Mr. Wood, what did you think of Quaffle's suit?"

He laughed. "Only ye would put him in a suit"

"He looks adorable," she defended

"Aye, he does," he agreed, "But ye, Mrs. Wood, look incredibly stunning. Ye knocked the breath oot af mae when a saw ye. Leo said ye looked very pretty, but he was severely lacking fer a better term."

Hermione beamed at him. "I really do love you," she vowed.

"An' a love ye," he muttered, lowering his head to kiss her and hearing camera flashes.

"What do you think it means? The marks on our wrists?"

"Am not sure, but the Minister said it was a good thing, so don' go gettin' yer research on until _after_ our wedding, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed and he chuckled.

The song ended and everyone cheered and applauded before people started filling up the dance floor and Hermione was asked to dance with Mr. Weasley. She did and she danced with Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Mr Wood, Percy and Leo, as well as with each member of the team and Quaffle ran around the dance floor making people laugh. By the end of the dances, her feet were killing and she was exhausted and so they took seats at the table ready for the speeches. By this point, Oliver had removed his suit jacket, loosened his tie, unbuttoned his collar and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and many of the guests had done the same.

Champagne was served and Mr. and Mrs. Wood, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood together and it fell silent.

"We would like to propose a toast to Oliver and Hermione," Mr. Weasley spoke, his eyes shining brightly. "May your love be strong and may your life be fulfilled with happiness. We couldn't be happier that our daughter, Hermione, was matched with a good man who can keep up with her and make her happy. Welcome to the family, Oliver."

Mrs. Weasley sniffled as the crowd toasted and then Mr. Wood said,

"We cannae tell ye all hoo incredibly honoured we are tae welcome someone as wonderful, strong an' caring as Hermione in tae our family. We are incredibly happy tha' Oliver was matched with such a loving young woman, who would care fer him even on his moodier days an' there's a _lot_ af them," he swore and the crowd laughed. "Tae Hermione an' Oliver!"

When they crowd toasted and the elders retook their seats, Pallie promptly stood from his seat with a devilish grin and Oliver's head dropped back as he groaned at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Well then, who would've thought it? This ugly sod getting married to someone as beautiful as Hermione, Britain's most eligible bachelor my arse," he teased and the crowd laughed, Oliver scowled and Hermione laughed softly, patting Oliver's knees in sympathy. "I don't know how you pulled it off, Mate, but you did. Instead of the press asking, if Hermione's got you under the Imperius curse, we should be asking her if you have her under it!" The crowd laughed again. "I'm glad that Hermione, here, will keep our dear Captain in line both at work and at home," he winked dramatically and Hermione ducked her head, blushing, as Oliver slipped his arm around her shoulders. "We need her to protect us from him and his wrath. So, all that is left to say, and I know I speak for the entire team when say this, is officially welcome to the Puddlemere family. Good luck in your life together and don't bring your problems to work. Wood, don't make her angry, we all have to suffer for you being an idiot," he finished, everyone laughing as they toasted. Oliver slapped Pallie on the back of the head before they shared a quick hug and returned to their seats.

The twins were up next, something Hermione was dreading and the moment they stood from their chairs with grins, she groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"So, our little sister got married. It seems like only yesterday we were playing muggle board games and getting our arses royally handed to us," said Fred.

"That's because it was," George added.

"And it seems like only yesterday she hexed me for cheating."

"That's because it was," George repeated and the crowd laughed at them. "Anyway, I don't know what you're complaining about, she hexed me for eating one of her biscuits and I knocked myself unconscious by running into a wall," he said. The crowd howled with laughter. "I still have the bruise," he gestured to his forehead.

"There's nothing there," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"There is so, right there," he argued, gesturing again.

"That's your finger," she deadpanned. Oliver laughed along with the crowd.

"Now that my brother's stopped his whining," Fred said, clapping George on the shoulder, "We were going to do our big brother duty and threaten Oliver with specially made pranks just for him if he ever hurts our Mia, but we've come to realise that we should be worrying about him instead of threatening him."

"We lived with Hermione for two months and I don't know how we survived it," George picked up, shaking his head and Hermione scowled at them. "I think he needs more protection than she does. Hell, you think we're bad, you have no idea what a little prankster Hermione is, we're the ones that reign her in, and that's a scary thought," he shivered and the crowd laughed as her scowl deepened. "Only joking, Mia," he winked at her. "In all honesty, we were sad to see Hermione leave."

"Devastated really," Fred added nodding. "Not only is Hermione incredibly selfless and caring, she puts others needs before herself. When it comes down to it, Hermione's one of a kind, and we hope that Oliver knows how lucky he is to have her heart," he said, his eyes narrowed slightly and Oliver nodded.

"Hermione, we love you and we're glad to know that we're giving our little sister to someone who will love and cherish you, and devote his life to you because we can't think of anyone who deserves it more. You deserve to be treated like a princess, to not want for anything. And we know that you don't care for material possessions, which is why we know that Oliver will shower you with them, along with his time, love and devotion."

"Welcome to the family, Oliver," the twins chorused.

"I hope you're prepared because Hermione had everyone go easy on you, but now you're an honorary Weasley," started George.

"And that means you're fair game," finished Fred.

"Too right it does" Bill and Charlie chorused loudly and the crowd laughed. Hermione smiled at them with watery eyes and she hugged them tightly and kissed their cheeks.

After the speeches, there was more dancing and chatting. Hermione learned that all her friends from Hogwarts were returning for their final year and they were exempt from the law and she was happy for them. She learned that Lee was engaged to Alicia Spinnet, who he brought as his plus one and things seemed to be going well and they were marrying in September. Verity was already engaged before the law came out but her fiancé was away on business and couldn't make it to the wedding. She finally got to meet Percy's match, Audrey, and Hermione knew she was perfect for him; she valued education and hard work just as much as he did and she was pretty, too, with her long brown hair and large green eyes.

Another hour later, and the twins pulled Hermione and Oliver into the middle of the dance floor and they gestured for them to not move and they quickly disappeared and a few minutes later they returned. Suddenly, Hermione startled when she heard the telltale sign of a firework and she looked up at the sky to see fireworks explode in a myriad of bright and beautiful colours, too many to count. Firework after firework went off, exploding into different colours and shapes and the crowd gasped and murmured as camera flashes were going off left, right and centre. After ten minutes, the last three fireworks began. The first one changed into a large beautiful blue sparrow, the second one turned into a pink and red love heart and the final one said 'Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Wood'. Hermione's eyes watered and the crowd burst into applause as Hermione hugged the twins tightly and kissed their cheeks.

After that, they moved onto the three-tiered chocolate and cream wedding cake that was decorated in white fondant and blue flowers. Hermione and Oliver cut the first piece of cake together and when they did, they heard a loud bag and beautiful white doves appeared out of nowhere and flew off into the night sky. Hermione looked at the twins knowingly and they grinned in response.

They'd been on their best behaviour all night with only a few minor pranks. They put a Shrinking Charm on Percy's trousers and he had to excuse himself as he was losing the feeling in his legs; he had to be cut out of them. They had placed some of their signature Canary Creams and Flirting Fancies on the desserts table and a few unsuspecting guests fell victim, growing beaks and feathered wings and flirting with anyone that walked past. Hermione had to admit the last one had been quite funny to watch, especially when Percy tried to flirt with McGonagall and Flitwick tried to flirt with the pork on the catering table. They'd even gone so far as to turn Melanie's hair into eels for what she did to Hermione, something Hermione wouldn't admit to sniggering at as she and Oliver hid behind a table out of the screaming witch's path.

Soon the guests started to leave and they decided to call it a night, too. All the women were gathered and Hermione threw the bouquet over her shoulder for Audrey to catch. After, Hermione and Oliver made their way around the remaining guests and said their goodbyes before doing the same to their family with the twins promising to get Leo home safely.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, her now mother-in-law after she'd offered to take Quaffle for the weekend. "He can be quite a handful and he hogs the bed," she said and they laughed at her. "I'm being serious, I've lost count of the number of times I've woken up on the floor and he's sprawled out on my bed."

"We're sure, Dear," Mrs. Wood laughed lightly, her eyes twinkling. "Ye twa head aff an' we'll take care af ev'rything else."

They said their goodbyes and made their way back to the manor so they could floo to the apartment and Oliver took her hand and stepped into the floo as panic and nerves began to set in.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 20

**Wood Apartment - Thursday 30th July 1998**

"What are you doing?" Hermione squeaked in surprise, a laugh leaving her when Oliver unexpectedly swooped down and lifted her off the ground, her arms looping around his neck as he carried her from the fireplace and through the apartment.

"Well, according tae me ma, an' a don' know hoo she found this oot, it's a muggle tradition fer a husband tae carry his wife over the threshold."

"Hmm, I never did thank you for my bracelet, so thank you. It's beautiful."

"Am glad ye like it," he smiled down at her.

"When did you get it?"

"Monday when we picked the rings up, a asked fer him tae have it made and Pallie collected it fer mae last night," he answered.

"That was very sneaky, Mr. Wood."

"Well, a have tae be able tae keep up with ye, _Mrs. Wood_ ," he emphasised with a grin and she laughed.

"Don't be thinking you can buy me jewellery and the like whenever you feel like it because I won't accept them," she warned.

"Hoo 'bout books?" He challenged, smirking when she scowled in annoyance. They both knew she wouldn't turn down a book.

Halting to a stop, Oliver toed open the door before him and he stepped into the room, kicking the door shut before he set Hermione on her feet before him, his hands slipping to rest against her stomach and his chin resting against her shoulder as she examined her new surroundings. With it being so dark, she drew her wand and cast a _Luminaria_ , softballs of light floating above and bathing the room in a soft, mysterious glow.

Quickly realising they were in Oliver's bedroom, she noted that it appeared to be twice the size of the others in the apartment, making it the master's suite, and it was not what she was expecting. An entire wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows, showing the nightlife of Wizarding London, and chocolate brown curtains were tied back. The remaining three walls were chocolate brown with intricate detailing and accents in cream and the brown carpet was soft beneath her feet. The right side wall sat a door that led to the wardrobe whilst the left side wall housed the door that hid the bathroom.

A cream-coloured wooden, king-sized bed sat directly before, the high headboard pressed against the wall. The bedding was of cream-coloured cotton, a brown throw cover and brown cushions were fluffed and strategically placed. Glass bedside cabinets sat on either side of the bed, a large cream-coloured couch sat facing the windows with a glass coffee table before it, and a cream-coloured rug sat beneath it. Hermione thought there was absolutely no need for how big the room was, there being so much room to move about there would be no chance of accidentally bumping into something if she were half asleep and not watching where she was going.

"What d'ye think?" Oliver interrupted her inner musings.

"Very nice, spacious but cosy and not what I was expecting. You didn't decorate it, did you?" She asked knowingly.

He snorted. "Naw, if a had, it would've probably been planned oot tae be Puddlemere colours but it would've gone horribly wrong sometime during decorating, a dread tae think what the finished ootcome would be." She laughed lightly. "A hired someone tae do it an' gave them complete artistic control."

"They did a brilliant job," she complimented.

Oliver's splayed hands started tracing patterns against her stomach and she leaned back into him, sighing happily and a smile pulled at his mouth.

"So, what did you do last night?" Hermione asked, allowing Oliver's touch to melt away her tension and panic.

"After training, a took Quaffle tae the manor fer a bit befere coming back here, an' ye already know a was at the stadium taday. An' ye?"

He swept her hair aside and he placed butterfly kisses to her skin, Hermione humming and tilting her head to give him better access.

"Had a visit with Fleur and she dragged me to Paris, and when I got back, the twins and I stayed up most of the night playing muggle board games, having pillow fights and arguing over cheating and I hexed Fred for cheating."

He chuckled against her neck and she couldn't take any more of the nips and butterfly kisses so she twisted in his arms and pressed her mouth against his, kissing him languidly and slipping her tongue into his parted mouth to greet his. She felt the remainder of her nerves and tension melt away as she slumped against him and he held her tightly to him.

Feeling bold, she reached up and pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and he drew his hands back so it could fall down his arms and pool to the ground before his hands settled on her waist, tugging her flush against him. Her hands moved to untied tie and she pulled it from around his neck and let it drop to the floor before her fingers made for the buttons of his waistcoat and shirt. Having trouble with unfastening them, she made a noise of annoyance and waved her hand, the buttons magically popping open. Feeling Oliver's smile of amusement against her mouth, she tugged his shirt free from the waistband of his trousers and he shrugged both his waistcoat and shirt off until they hit the floor. Her hands quickly settled against his chest, her fingers tracing every piece of skin, ridge and muscle available, feeling his muscles twitching under her light touch. Groaning, he drew back from her breathless and he stared at her with questioning eyes.

Looking up at him, her teeth trapped her bottom lip nervously; she knew what he was asking and slowly, she nodded and turned her back to him, feeling his hands gently settling on her shoulders, the calloused pads of his finger tracing her skin and she shivered under his touch. He first removed her veil and halo of flowers and set them on the bedside table before he moved to unbutton the buttons on the back of her dress. Hermione knew there were quite a few and so it took him a while, his impatience obvious and she giggled to herself. He eventually got enough buttons popped free that the dress would've fallen to the floor if Hermione wasn't holding it up at the front, and his fingers traced the newly revealed skin and when a shudder ran through her, he gently tugged her to face him.

"Where's yer scars?" He asked softly, knowing it was a touchy subject with her.

"I glamoured the ones that would show, I didn't want anyone to see them."

"Yer beautiful no matter yer scars," he said truthfully, lowering his head to kiss her.

When she was engrossed with the kiss, Oliver pulled her hands away from the dress and it fell away from her body and pooled on the ground around her feet. He drew back from her, lowering his gaze and groaning at the sight of her white lace, strapless bra, and her matching lace boy shorts held together with white ribbons tied off into little bows.

 _She really does look like an angel,_ he thought.

"Beautiful," he muttered, drinking in her half-naked form as she blushed furiously.

Before she could protest, he captured her lips in a heated kiss and gently nudged her backwards until she stepped out of her dress and she reached the bed. A laugh of surprise fell from her lips when she toppled back, sprawling across the soft mattress and he chuckled as he moved to hover above her.

He could see her nerves, Hermione struggling to hide it and not wanting her to overthink or get trapped in her head, he drew back and knelt before her, first reaching for her left foot and removing her heel before moving to the right foot, being sure to keep eye contact. When he lowered her foot, she lifted them onto the bed and shuffled closer to the centre, her gaze locked with his as he quickly removed his own socks and shoes before he followed her, climbing up her body. With her head propped up by the pillows after throwing the cushions to the floor, her wild hair fanned out around her like a halo. Finding his balance, he slipped his hands to the back of her neck, removing both of her necklaces before he set them on the bedside cabinet. After leaning down to press a quick kiss to her neck, he lifted her left wrist to remove the tennis bracelet, setting it on the bedside cabinet and then pressing a kiss to the newly tattooed golden band.

As he did so, Hermione's eyes fluttered closed and a choked moan fell from her lips, the sound sending a shudder through him and bringing his erection to life until it strained against the confinement of his trousers.

Curious, he pressed another kiss against her wrist and achieved the same results.

 _Interesting,_ he thought.

When her eyes fluttered open they were so dark they could be mistaken for black, and whilst want and lust flittered through her gaze, her nerves were still present.

Lowering her wrist and spying the Wood family cuff bracelet on her other wrist, that possessive part of him reared up and he decided to leave it where it was, before he shifted above her, supporting himself on his elbows and being cradled by her thighs. He kissed her languidly and passionately as her hands and fingers explored his muscled back, shoulders, chest and stomach and she pulled him closer until he was flush against her. Her hands slipped to his neck, removing the gold necklace and she blindly threw it onto the bedside cabinet. He shifted until he was able to run his hands over her sides before moving to her breasts and he cupped and squeezed them expertly, making her moan into his mouth and arch into him.

She was growing frustrated and Oliver, sensing her mood, pushed his lower half against hers, catching her moan in his mouth. Her hands trembled as she trailed them down his stomach and to his trousers, shakily undoing his belt, button and zip. She pushed his trousers down the best she could and Oliver pulled away from her to kick them off the rest of the way before latching his mouth onto her neck, nipping at her skin and biting her pulse point gently. She moaned when he started grinding against her and when Oliver reached his hands beneath her back, without thought, she arched her back into, giving him better access and he unclasped her bra and pulled it away and flung it to the floor.

Drawing back from her, his eyes swept her form, locking on her bare breasts, his gaze darkening as she blushed furiously. Oliver caught the movement of her about to cover herself and he quickly intercepted it, holding her hands out to the side.

"Yer perfect," he promised in a whisper, catching her mouth in a blazing kiss, taking her breath away.

When he pulled away, his lips trailed down her neck, to her collar bone, he kissed the top of her breasts before taking her right nipple into his mouth and he licked, sucked and nipped gently. Hermione moaned breathlessly and arched into him, tugging her hands free of his grasp and burying them in his hair, tugging at the strands and pulling a groan from him.

"Did he ever..." Oliver mumbled around her nipple. Hermione knew what he was asking and promptly shook her head. Oliver smirked. He loved being able to one-up Viktor Krum.

He pulled away from her and she whimpered at the loss but it was soon replaced by a moan when he shifted to her left nipple, his hand moving to pay attention to her other, rolling it in his fingers and tugging and pinching gently. He pulled away and she made a whining sound in protest and he chuckled.

"Remove it," he ordered against the skin of her stomach before kissing it and dipping his tongue into her belly button.

She gasped. "What?"

"Remove the Glamours," he clarified, dipping his tongue into her belly button again and she tugged his hair.

She untangled one hand from his hair, waved it and then buried it back in the soft strands, Dolohov's scar showing itself, but so did something else. Something he definitely wasn't expecting from Hermione Granger.

"Hermione, is tha' a _tattoo_?" He questioned in surprise, his eyes locked on her stomach, just beside her right hip where there sat a tattoo the size of the palm of his hand. It was a phoenix with its wings spread, in reds, oranges and yellows and it was half-covered by the band of her underwear.

"Yes, I got it in Muggle London the night of the Final Battle," she replied breathlessly, seeing his hungry gaze lift to her face.

"Does anyone know?"

"No," she shook her head. You're the only person to see it. I always glamour it. "

He groaned in the back of his throat. "Tha' is so..." He trailed off, not being able to finish his words and he lowered his head, pressing his lips against her tattoo and tracing it with his tongue.

She moaned and shivered beneath him. He would definitely be paying plenty of attention to her tattoo in the future and after sucking on her skin, he reluctantly pulled away and continued kissing down her body. He looked up at her, she was panting, her face to her breasts was flushed pink and she was biting her lip anxiously. She slowly nodded her in consent, looking both lustful and vulnerable.

He hooked his fingers into her underwear and slowly pulled them down her legs, keeping eye contact with her and her face darkened in embarrassment. He pulled them over her feet and threw them behind him, his eyes darting down to her neatly groomed patch of curls before he moved further down her body, pressing his lips against her ankle and up to her hip before he swapped to her right leg, her eyes being closed and her chest rising and falling with every ragged breath she took.

When Oliver placed a kiss against her most private place, she gasped, her eyes flew open and widened and she reflexively tried to close her legs, but Oliver knowing she would do that, caught her legs and pushed them further apart, giving him better access.

"Oliver? What are you doing?" She asked mortified.

"What does it look like?" He hummed as he watched the glistening of her arousal and he couldn't resist anymore, his tongue darting out and swiping through her folds and they both moaned; she tasted like tangy honey.

"Oliver, you don't have..." She tried to protest but his dark gaze silenced her before he bent his head and returned to his previous ministrations.

He swept his tongue through her folds before he found her nub and he latched on to it, sucking it into his mouth and nipping gently with his teeth. He slipped a finger into her and pumped slowly before adding a second and third finger. The sounds he was pulling from Hermione reminded him of his aching need for release. She was wriggling under his ministrations, panting and letting out mewls and whimpers.

He recognised the signs and with his free hand, he reached up to pay attention to one of her nipples, he sped up the movement of thrusts and he sucked harder on her nub. There were too many sensations for Hermione to deal with and she snapped, a tidal wave of pleasure washing over her as she called Oliver's name, arching her back and gripping the bedding with her hands. Oliver lapped up her juices all too happily and when she came down from her high, working to calm her breathing, he wiped his face with the back of his hand and he crawled back up her, hovering over her and supporting himself on his elbows. Her eyes were closed and she had a soft smile on her face and he felt rather pleased with himself.

Slowly, Hermione's eyes fluttered open. "You're looking pleased with yourself," she noted.

"A have reason tae be," he smirked and she scowled at him before she shifted underneath him nervously.

He leaned down and kissed her languidly and she was surprised to find she didn't mind the taste of her arousal on his tongue and it didn't take long for his boxer to find purchase on the floor with the rest of their clothing and Hermione took him in her hand, using his pre-come as lubrication as slowly pumped her hand over him and he groaned at the feeling. She looked down and her eyes widened. She knew that he was big, seeing as she couldn't fit her hand around him completely, but she hadn't expected him to be _that_ big. He was long and thick and curved slightly.

Oliver noticed her reaction and resisted the urge to smirk and puff out his chest.

"Don' worry, it'll be fine," he said gently. She looked at him sceptically and he resisted the urge to chuckle.

He pulled the blanket out from beneath Hermione and she shifted to help him move it until she was laying on the bedsheets and the covers were thrown over them to protect from the chill in the room.

"Ready?" He asked her gently, hovering over her, supporting himself on one elbow and taking himself in his other hand.

She took a deep breath and slowly nodded. He could see the worry in her eyes. "I'm ready."

"We don' have tae do this tanight; we have twenty-four hours, we could jus' have a cuddle if ye want tae stop," he told her, his eyes searching her expression carefully.

"That's sweet of you but I want this. It's our wedding night and if we put it off, I'll be even more nervous."

Searching her expression one last time, he nodded and ran the tip of his length down her folds a few times and they both huffed out noises at the contact.

"This'll probably hurt," he warned her gently, "A'll try an' be as gentle as a can."

He swept down and pressed his lips against hers, taking her in a consuming kiss. When she was distracted, he pulled her right leg to rest over his hip and he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly he entered her. She gasped, pulling away from him and her nails dug into his shoulders. He slowly pushed forward until he was halfway in but she'd tensed up and he couldn't push any further. He took a slow, steadying breath, his jaw clenching.

"Sparrow? A need ye tae relax," he muttered, rubbing circles against the side of her knee and her waist to offer comfort. Slowly, she did as he instructed and he pushed forward a little more. "Take deep breaths," he instructed before he drew back and thrust forward, tearing her hymen and he was fully sheathed inside of her.

She gasped for the second time, her grip on his shoulders tightened and she sounded like she was choking on her breath, struggling to breathe. He clenched his jaw, his head bowed and his body froze, his muscles bunched tightly in an effort not to move. She was warm, wet and tight, like smooth silk. Tighter than he thought she would be and it was almost painful as she engulfed him securely. If he wasn't as experienced as he was, it probably would've been his undoing.

Lifting his gaze, he saw her face pinched with pain and teardrops leaked from the corners of her eyes. He felt awful for hurting her even if it couldn't have been helped, and he leaned down to kiss the tears away.

"Jus' let mae know when it doesn't hurt," he whispered against the skin of her neck and she nodded. Wishing to distract her and calm her, he pressed kisses to her skin and continued to rub circles against her side.

A few minutes later, she wiggled her hips as the pain ebbed away. "You can move now," she muttered and Oliver slowly drew back his hips and carefully thrust into her, setting a slow and steady pace. It didn't take long for the discomfort to fade and pleasure filled its place and she was moaning beneath him and instinctively bringing her hips up to meet his. He took that as a good sign and increased his speed and thrusts, being mindful to be careful and now overwhelm her, even if that meant he had to hold back.

He knew he wouldn't last much longer, she felt too good and warm. He'd had his fair share of witches but something about this was different. It wasn't because he loved her and emotions were involved, it was something deeper, stronger. It was almost as if she'd been made for him and him for her. Almost as if they were meant for one another. Everything felt heightened and overwhelming.

He snaked his hand down between their bodies and put pressure on her nub and it sent her over the edge. Hermione cried Oliver's name, clung to him tightly and her already tight walls clamped down around him, pulling him in further and he rode out her orgasm. He tried to hold back, he did, but he couldn't. Not that time. Not when Hermione's teeth sunk into his pulse point.

" _Fuck_! Hermione!" He hissed in surprise, his relief being torn from him.

He collapsed on top of her, pressing her into the mattress and caging her soft, exhausted body beneath his as her hands softly ran the length of his back. When he found the strength, he rolled off her and to the side, pulling her with him so she was tucked into his side with his arm around her waist, her head pressed against his chest, her arm thrown over him and her leg resting over his and he shifted the blanket to better cover them.

"Are ye okay?" He asked softly, breaking the silence as his hand absentmindedly tickling the skin of her stomach, right where he knew her tattoo to be. She nodded. "A dinnae hurt ye tae much?"

"I'm a little sore," she admitted, "But it wasn't too painful. More like a sharp sting, like a parchment cut and we all know those buggers hurt like hell," she shrugged one shoulder and he snorted as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She tipped her head to look up at him, her cheeks filling with a pink tint as she sheepishly said, "I'm sorry for biting you."

"Hoo's it looking?" He asked, turning his head to give her better access to his neck. She shifted until she was propped up by her elbow and she saw the teeth marks in the left side of his neck, knowing it was going to bruise.

"It's not bleeding but it's still pretty deep, you'll have a mark and bruise for at least a week. It didn't hurt, did it?" She asked guiltily.

"Not really, like gettin' stabbed with a quill, besides, it's not yer fault tha' am so handsome ye felt the need tae mark mae tae scare aff other women," he teased. She weakly hit him in the chest and he laughed. "Seems only fair since a hurt ye," he grumbled, still feeling awful about it.

"Yes, but I may bite you more than once, you can only hurt me once or twice and after that the pain will go, I don't how many times I'll bite you. If the team sees that we're going to get tortured," she sighed and he snorted.

"Aye, we definitely are," he agreed. "They've already been bugging mae."

"They have Since when?"

"Since they met ye."

"They kept asking how far you'd gotten with me, didn't they? I bet Malloy was the most to press the subject," she said knowingly.

"Hoo'd ye know?" He questioned in surprise.

"Whenever I saw the two of you talking, you were always glaring and looking like you wanted to kill him. And, I heard him ask you if you'd charmed the pants off my mother and if she dragged you to her bedroom," she shrugged, seeing his guilty expression. "You can tell them, you know?" He arched an eyebrow response. "I don't mind as long as you don't go into explicit detail."

"Why?"

"I don't want a rift to come between you and Malloy because he's an arsehole."

"A'd never do tha' tae ye," he promised, "Naw matter hoo annoying he is. A wouldn't reveal anythin' aboot ye or us tae get him tae shut up. Our private life has nothin' tae do with him."

"Well, he's right about one thing," she said, her mouth tugging into a smirk. "I _do_ have great stamina."

He spluttered in surprise and she laughed.

"Hoo do ye know he said tha'?"

"You've forgotten? I have enhanced hearing. I've heard bits and pieces of some conversations. I just pretend I've no idea what's been said. I don't listen in on purpose, it's just sometimes my hearing picks up on certain things," she shrugged.

"So, ye have good stamina?" He checked.

"Yes, a trait from my Animagus form."

"Good tae know fer future reference," he smirked down at her.

"Who said I'd be having sex with you more than once a week as required by the law?" She teased.

"Have ye not seen mae? Am so handsome ye won't be able tae keep yer hands aff mae," he said arrogantly.

She snorted before snuggling closer, and catching sight of their discarded clothing on the floor, she casually waved her hand, the clothing levitating over to the couch and draping over the cushions.

"A thought ye said it was hard fer ye tae do both non-verbal an' wandless magic at the same time?"

"It is, but some things are to do than others, some I've mastered and require little concentration. I can levitate things, summon things and do _Finite Incantatem_ and _Impedimenta_ without the need to focus."

"Ye never cease tae amaze mae," he commented and she smiled up at him.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you, would you mind if I changed that spare room near the library into a potions lab and study? Just until I've done my NEWT's. I need to practice for the practical aspect of the exam."

"A don' mind, in fact, don' bother changing it back afterwards; jus' keep it as a potions lab, then ye can work on products fer the twins' shop practically rather than jus' theoretically."

Hermione looked up at him in surprise. "You're sure?" She checked. He nodded and smiled. She leaned up and kissed him and then settled back down against him. "Thank you. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I've finished my journals for my first year."

"Tha' was fast," he mused.

"I'm going to go read through them one last time and then I need to choose a publishing company. I haven't decided if I should release the books together or release them separately, possibly annually," she said, shifting to get more comfortable and she winced in pain at the sting between her legs.

"Yer sure yer okay? It was okay?" He asked running his fingers over her shoulder and down the length of her arm comfortingly and she sighed happily with her eyes closed.

"Yes, I'm fine and it was wonderful. As far as first times go, it was amazing. Stop smirking," she said tiredly and he chuckled at her.

"A promise when the Quidditch season's over we'll a have a proper honeymoon."

"I don't mind just spending the weekend with you."

"A know ye don', but a _want_ tae spend time with ye. Jus' ye an' mae, twa weeks, maybe more, on a private island with sky blue oceans an' private golden beaches."

"You just want me to walk around in minimal clothing," she muttered.

"Hmm, but can ye blame me? My _wife's_ the most beautiful woman in the world an' she has a ravishing body." She scoffed. "An' a sexy as hell tattoo. What does it mean?"

"The Order of the Phoenix, a phoenix rises from the ashes, they represent new beginnings. The end of the war brought new beginnings. It brought me you."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Yer mine an' only mine."

"And you're mine," she said sleepily.

"Always," he agreed, "Have the bite mark tae prove it," he teased.

"Good, would you like to tell that to your girlfriend, Mary?" She giggled and he couldn't be annoyed at her when she giggled. "I love you."

"A love ye, Sparrow."

"By the way, I've got _three_ tattoos."

"What? Where? What are they?" He asked excitedly and he sat up, jostling Hermione.

"Not telling you, but you'll see soon enough," she replied, dozing off.

He groaned. "Yer killing mae here."

She giggled again. "You'll survive if you want to see them"

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment – Friday 31st July 1998**

Oliver woke long before Hermione and he watched her carefully; it was still early as the sun hadn't begun to rise and he waited for her inevitable nightmares to start. He watched and waited for what seemed like hours. She was lying on her back with her hair fanned out over the pillow and it had frizzed up slightly during the night, her mouth was parted slightly and she looked peaceful. The blanket was covering her breasts and she had one hand thrown out to the side and her other hand gripped his hand that was splayed on her stomach.

Satisfied that she was peaceful, he pulled Hermione into his arms and she sighed in her sleep. He smiled, kissed her forehead and allowed himself to fall back to sleep.

He awoke several hours later and the sun was streaming through the windows, bathing the room in its warm rays. He felt his muscles twitch and a soft tickle against his skin and when his eyes slowly opened, it was to see Hermione facing him, her head supported by her hand as the other traced explorative patterns on his chest as he lay on his back and she had a leg thrown over his hip. He _definitely_ had a morning erection. He smiled at her sleepily and she smiled back.

"Morning," she greeted.

"Morning, beautiful," he spoke, his voice thick with sleep. "What time is it?"

"A little after ten, I think," she shrugged slightly.

"Ye dinnae have any nightmares," he stated.

"I didn't, for the first time for as long as I can remember, I didn't have a nightmare. I had the best night's sleep I've ever had."

"A always feel rested an' relaxed after waking up next tae ye," he confessed and she smiled, leaning over to press a kiss to his mouth. "Ye know, havin' ye draped over mae naked is a great way tae wake up."

"Is that so?" She arched an amused eyebrow.

"Hmm," he ran his hand up the leg hooked over his hip and he bucked his hips so that his erection pressed against her leg.

She gasped in surprise and he rolled her so he was on top of her and he kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He moved a hand down between them and found her nub and with a few strokes, she was ready for him, her arousal coating his fingers.

"How are ye feeling?" He checked.

"I'm okay," she nodded.

She reached down between them and took him in her hand, he groaned at the contact and she pumped her hand a few times before she shifted beneath him and guided him into her. He pushed forward and she gasped. He immediately stopped.

"Yer still hurt," he accused.

"No," she denied, "It's just a little uncomfortable, I'll be fine after a few times."

He eyed her suspiciously and she was getting impatient so she hooked a leg around his waist and pulled him forward until he was fully sheathed inside her. Oliver groaned, his hands tightening into fists and Hermione's breath hitched.

"Yer sure yer okay?" He questioned, his expression concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine" she promised.

She reached up, her hand cupping his cheek and her thumb swiping across his cheekbone and he turned his head and kissed her palm, before he pulled out of her and thrust forward slowly, allowing her body to get used to the intrusion once more. It didn't take long for the pleasure to override the discomfort and soon she was moaning and gasping, wriggling under him and lifting her hips up to meet his.

He pushed her over the edge when he experimentally lifted her left wrist and pressed a kiss to her golden band. It hadn't been expected. The dam burst and her walls clamped around him tightly and he halted in his movements, clenching his teeth and waiting for her to come down from her high. When she did, he continued with his movements but he still kept a slow and steady pace, and it took an even shorter amount of time for her to reach the edge for the second time, still sensitive from her last orgasm. The second time she climaxed, she cried Oliver's name and for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, her mouth latched onto his neck, in the exact same place she had bitten him the night before, only she didn't bite him but she did suck at it harshly.

" _Fuck_!" He groaned, his pleasure being ripped from him before he'd been ready, and her walls tried to pull him in further.

Oliver collapsed on top of her and when he found the strength, he rolled off her to the side and pulled her against him.

"Yer not allowed tae wear clothes tae bed," Oliver decided and Hermione laughed breathlessly.

"I'm hungry, but I don't want to get up and make something, I'm too comfortable to move," she sighed.

"A can fix tha'. Tillie!" He called and the little elf popped into the room. He and Hermione sat up and made sure the blanket covered them.

"Good morning, Master, Mistress," she bowed. "Congratulations," she beamed.

"Did you enjoy the ceremony, Tillie?" Hermione asked kindly.

"Yes, Mistress. It was beautiful. Tillie can see you love Master very much, you make him happy."

Hermione smiled. "He makes me happy," she confessed.

Tillie, catching sight of the golden bands wrapped around their wrists reflecting in the sunlight, suddenly gasped before she jumped up and down on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands together excitedly and squealing in delight.

"Master and Mistress have the bands!"

Oliver and Hermione shared a look. "Ye know what these are, Tillie?" Oliver questioned, gesturing to the band on his wrist.

"Yes, Master. Tillie hasn't seen one in a very long time. Master and Mistress must find out for themselves, it is a wonderful thing... Tillie will fetch your breakfast," she popped out of the room.

"What is it with these bands?" Oliver said confused.

"I don't know, but..."

"Naw, naw research during our honeymoon weekend. If it's a good thing, it can wait," he said firmly and she scowled but nodded as she folded her arms over her chest.

Tillie popped back into the room with a tray filled with two glasses of orange juice, two cups of tea, pancakes, maple syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Ye dinnae cook it, did ye?" Oliver asked, eyeing both Tillie and the food warily.

Hermione took the tray from Tillie and Tillie clicked her fingers and a rolled-up newspaper appeared in her hand before she swotted Oliver in the arm.

"Ow!" He whined and Hermione laughed hysterically.

"How dare Master insult Tillie?" The little elf demanded unhappily.

"A cannae believe it. Am gettin' abused by me own house-elf whilst am naked an' me naked wife's next tae mae laughing her arse aff," he grumbled.

Scowling, Oliver reached for the newspaper and Tillie popped out of the room, leaving them to their breakfast.

_Ministry Marriage_

_By Lucy Miles_

_Yesterday evening, at sundown, the long-anticipated wedding of Hermione Granger, War Heroine, and Oliver Wood, Quidditch Star, occurred and this reporter is happy to say she was granted access to attend the private ceremony with no more than one hundred and twenty-five guests, one of the most private celebrity weddings to have taken place in the last century._

_Puddlemere United, Captain, Oliver Wood, looked sinfully handsome in his chosen attire of a fitted, navy-blue muggle suit (you can say what you want about muggles but they sure know how to make clothing) and the now Hermione Wood, looked beautiful in her chosen muggle, lace detailed wedding gown._

_The wedding ceremony was charming, intimate and beautiful; with fairy lights twinkling in trees and a white glow shining against the lake on the grounds of the Weasley's property in Devon. There was a small interruption in the form of Oliver Wood's number one fan, now identified as Mary Hughes, breaking through security to insist that she be the one to marry the Quidditch Star, but the matter was soon handled, with the bride scaring away the intruder who was later apprehended by Aurors._

_There was not a dry eye in the audience as both the bride and groom expressed their love for one another, choosing to recite both the traditional wedding vows as well as their own. I, myself, have never before witnessed such a pure and beautiful display of love. However, the highlight of the ceremony for me was most definitely the bride and groom's adorable muggle –bred puppy, Quaffle, as he waltzed down the aisle sporting a muggle suit that was later discovered to be the now Hermione Wood's doing._

_The wedding reception was equally as wonderful and held on the grounds of the beautiful Wood Manor, home to Lord and Lady Wood. The bride and groom's first dance was beautiful as the happy couple laughed softly and chatted intimately, casually sharing chaste, loving kisses as they swayed on the dance floor to the chosen song, written and performed by a famous muggle artist, the words almost seeming to have been written for the newlyweds themselves._

_The speeches were both emotional and humorous, with Fred and George Weasley, successful businessmen and the wizards to have walked Hermione Wood down the aisle, teasing the bride, and Jack Pallie, Puddlemere Chaser and Oliver Wood's best man, taunting the groom._

_Towards the end of the night there was a fantastic firework display in which Fred and George Weasley were responsible, later followed by a flock of doves bursting from seemingly out of nowhere whilst the newlyweds cut the cake._

_The experience was one I, and I'm certain, nor the other guests will ever forget, and we, at the Daily Prophet, wish the new Mr. and Mrs. Wood all the best for the future._

Photographs from both the ceremony and the reception accompanied the article; one showing Hermione being escorted down the aisle by the beaming Weasley Twins, one of her and Oliver as they shared their first kiss of the ceremony, one of them sharing their first dance, and a later one showing them dancing with their friends and family, laughing as Quaffle darted around and jumped up at them.

"A think a like this Lucy Miles," Oliver remarked, accepting the cup of tea Hermione handed him. "She's a right sight better than Skeeter."

Hermione snorted. "I'd prefer Voldemort to her," she replied and he snorted. "Besides, Kingsley's had Aurors over to the _Daily Prophet_ offices and issued them with a notice. There will be an investigation into how they receive and discover their information. I imagine he also ordered that Rita Skeeter _not_ write this article, given her hatred for me. It's a good job, too, I would've sent her something a lot worse than Canary Creams if she'd badmouthed us." He laughed at her. "I think I'll give it until Monday and then leave off terrorising her, but she'll still be going to Azkaban where she belongs."

"Yer scary when ye wanna be," he told her.

"I know," she shrugged and he snorted.

"A gotta say, Sparrow, the highlight af the evening was ye jinxing Melanie," Oliver smirked knowingly.

Hermione plastered an innocent smiled on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she denied.

"Hmm, so she jus' fell over by herself?"

"Yes."

" _Seven_ times?" He said amusedly.

"It's not my fault she was wearing those ridiculous heels," she defended and he laughed at her. "Besides, you have no proof; did you once see me with my wand? No, you did not."

"Ye can do wandless an' non-verbal magic," he reminded. "An' ye told mae last night ye can cast _Impedimenta_ wandlessly an' non-verbally," he smirked, a laughing when she winked at him. "A knew it was ye. Best part af the night," he said proudly.

They were almost finished eating their breakfast when Hermione reached for the newspaper to see what else had happened lately, and she froze with the fork halfway up to her mouth, when she noticed the date.

"What's wrong, Sparrow?" Oliver asked, leaned over to see what she was reading.

"It's the 31st July today," she whispered, setting her fork on her plate.

"Hmm, the day after our wedding," he replied, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"No, it's Harry's eighteenth birthday," she said quietly, dropping the newspaper and looking down at her hands.

Oliver silently cursed. _Damn it, Potter, even when you're not here you still upset her._

"Am sure they're fine wherever they are, Sparrow, but right now, we're here, in our home, eating breakfast in our bed the morning after our wedding." Her mouth tugged into a smile. "An' a don' know aboot ye, but a wanna find oot where these other tattoos are."

"Good luck with that, they're glamoured," she grinned.

"Challenge accepted," he grinned back.

He moved the tray of food onto his bedside cabinet and then he pounced on her, sending her backwards and laughing as she clutched the blanket and he tickled her relentlessly.

"Are ye gonna tell mae where they are?"

"No!"

He doubled his assault and her laughter grew louder.

"Are ye sure?"

"I'm not telling you," she protested.

He didn't let up tickling her and he leaned closer and Hermione took the opportunity to lean up and kiss him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. The tickling stopped and it turned into him trailing his hands up her body in which she responded with moaning and wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down on top of her, and from that point, it didn't take them long before Oliver was positioned at her entrance.

"Yer sure yer fine?" He checked, searching her expression for any sign she was about to lie to him.

"I swear, I _will_ Bat Bogey you if you ask me that one more time."

Nodding, he entered her slowly, a groan catching in his throat and her back arched into him. She was sore but she was quickly becoming accommodated with the intrusion the more they had sex. Oliver, on the other hand, swore would never get used to the feeling of her surrounding him so snugly, and he set a slow and steady rhythm, determined to drag it out for as long as possible. When she fell over the edge, he allowed himself to follow her and he collapsed on top of her before getting his breathing under control and rolling off her.

"Whose birthday was it again?" She asked and he laughed at her.

"Not a clue, Sparrow."

"I need a shower," she complained, scrunching her nose up at the feel of her clammy skin and sticky thighs, and she sat up, _accio_ 'd a towel from the bathroom, wrapped it around herself and then climbed off the bed before walking into the bathroom for the first time, not yet being comfortable enough to parade around naked.

She wasn't surprised to see the bathroom was also twice the size of the others in the apartment, and it held the same colour scheme of chocolate brown and cream, with tiled flooring and walls. The bathtub was in the centre of the room and it was sunken into the floor, being the size of a small swimming pool, the shower enclosure sat in the left corner and had frosted glass panelled doors and was big enough to fit several people. There were his and her sinks against the wall with cupboards below, a mirror sat on the wall beside the shower and the toilet was near the sinks.

Making her way to the shower, she pulled open the door, dropped the towel to the floor and stepped inside, seeing there were shelves for wash products and there was an empty space, which she presumed would be for her, and there was a bench in the right corner of the shower. There were four showerheads, two on one wall, and one on the other two and she set the temperature using the dial and she experimentally pressed one of the buttons. One showerhead showered her with water and then she pressed the button next to it, only for two showerheads to spray her with water. She sighed happily as the water covered her body from the different angles and washed away the fatigue and sweat from her morning activities, as well as the night before, being sure to wash the remainder of her makeup from her face, too.

When the door opened, she didn't startle, having already known it was going to happen and Oliver stepped in behind her, closing the door and then reaching out to tug her against him, his arms folding around her stomach as they both stood under the spray of the water, swaying happily.

Lowering her gaze, Hermione caught sight of her Ministry supplied wedding band, seeing it had changed from silver to gold.

"What're ye thinking?" Oliver asked, pressing a kiss to her neck.

Silently, she raised her hand, showing him the colour change of the wedding band.

"I'm not a virgin anymore," she muttered.

"Naw, ye _really_ aren't," he agreed, pressing another kiss to her neck again. "Ye really do have good stamina... Twice in the span af an hour," he muttered and she laughed lightly.

She _accio_ 'd her things from her bathroom and she set about washing her hair but Oliver soon batted her hands away, poured her shampoo onto his hand and massaged it into her scalp. She rinsed it out and then repeated the process with her conditioner and after quickly washing, she swapped places with Oliver, where she washed his hair for him and he quickly washed.

They shut off the water, dried off and wrapped themselves in a towel, stepping into the bedroom as Oliver retrieved some clean underwear from his walk-in closet, and a Puddlemere jersey for Hermione to wear. Laughing, she wandlessly dried her hair and took it from him, slipped it on. It being too big for her smaller frame, it fell to mid-thigh and slipped off one shoulder.

She looked up to see Oliver looking at her heatedly and she blushed. "A knew ye'd look great in me jersey after sex."

"Technically, it was after a shower," she corrected.

"Tha' ye took 'coz a sexed yer brains oot," he shrugged smugly.

"'Sexed your brains out' isn't a phrase," she argued.

"Would ye prefer shagged? Ravished? Buggered? Fucked? Boinked?"

"Sexed is fine," she scowled. "Anyway, I'm the one with the good stamina," she shrugged, turning her back to him and making to leave the room, only she froze when she caught sight of the bed, her face flaming red, at the red stain on the sheets.

"Definitely _not_ a virgin anymore," Oliver whispered from behind her before he kissed her cheek. "Tillie," he called and the little elf popped into the room. "Will ye please change the bedding, please?"

"Of course, Master," she bowed happily and then popped out of the room.

"Yer sure yere fine?" Oliver asked of her, concern edging his tone as he looked to the bed once more, the stain being larger than he thought it might've been.

Nodding, Hermione walked out of the room embarrassed, and she made her way to the kitchen to make a start on something for a late lunch. Oliver followed her and took a seat at the kitchen table, watching her potter about the kitchen with a happy smile. His eyes were glued to her as he knew she was bare under his jersey. His eyes widened when she would reach up and the jersey would ride up her legs, and then the jersey would fall back down into place, covering her and he would frown. She'd long since figured out what he was doing and she laughed silently.

After finishing preparing a meal of chicken and rice, she took a seat at the table and they made a start on their lunch.

"We'll have tae visit Gringotts at some point in the next week," Oliver mused aloud.

"Why?" Hermione asked, tipping her head.

"So a can add ye tae me vault," he shrugged.

"No, that isn't a stipulation of the law," she argued.

"Yer me wife, Hermione; we made the choice tae marry 'coz we loved each other an' we wanted tae. The law doesn't apply tae us. What's mine is yers, an' am adding ye tae me vault, but they'll more than likely combine our accounts," he shrugged and she scowled at him. "Ye never did tell mae hoo wealthy ye are," he reminded her.

"I received one hundred and fifty thousand from the Ministry, one hundred and twenty-five thousand from my grandfather and one hundred thousand from my parents, in addition to what was already in my vault. I reckon not far over three-hundred and seventy-five thousand galleons. And that may not seem like a lot to you seeing as your family is already wealthy and you have a high paying job, but in the Muggle World that would be equivalent to over one million muggle pounds."

He choked on his food in surprise.

Whilst he knew he had far more than that in his own personal vault, and almost double in the Wood family vault, for someone who hadn't grown up with wealth like his own, that was a hell of a lot of money. Especially for a young witch, and it was more than the average witch or wizard might see in their lifetime.

~000~000~000~

After spending most of her day with Oliver, lounging around in the library, laughing and conversing, whilst she did a little revision for her NEWTs and made a start on editing her next journal and Oliver looked through his playbooks, they'd steal glances at one another and catch each other staring.

Neither had bothered to change, so Oliver was still in his boxers and she was still wearing his jersey and she'd noticed that whenever she moved, Oliver's eyes would train on the patch of skin that revealed itself and it made her laugh when he would frown because she recovered herself from his gaze.

Whilst she was currently in the kitchen, cooking dinner, she crossed over to the sink and winced at the sting that shot through her. She was still a little sore and not being able to take Pain Potions meant that Hermione had to wait out the pain the natural way, but luckily, she was already beginning to feel the soreness leave her body. Unfortunately, Oliver just happened to enter that kitchen at that moment and a frown pulled at his brow.

"Ye told mae ye were fine."

She turned to look at his unhappy frown and folded arms.

"And I am, the soreness doesn't go away instantly but I think I'll be fine by tomorrow," she shrugged, later collecting two plates from the draining board and the cutlery from the drawer. After plating up the food, she set them on the table and took a seat with Oliver moving to sit opposite her.

As they were finishing up eating dinner, she could sense that Oliver was dying to say something. He'd been avoiding her gaze but staring at her when she wasn't looking.

"What is it, Oliver?"

He sighed and finally looked at her. "Ye'd tell mae wouldn't ye? Ye'd tell mae if a was hurtin' ye or making ye do somethin' ye dinnae wanna do?" He asked, his expression concerned and guilty.

Hermione's features softened and she pushed her chair away from the table, stood and walked over to him, Oliver tugging her to sit sideways on his lap. Her arms looped around his neck and his immediately went around her waist.

"You could _never_ hurt me, Oliver, but if you did I would tell you. You're not making me do anything I don't want to, I make my own choices. As for the soreness, it should be gone by tomorrow. Fleur told me the first few times are always uncomfortable as the body's still getting used to the intrusion. It doesn't even hurt that much, it just stings if I move too quickly. If anything, you're being overly gentle, I know you're holding back, I can see it in your face, the way you set your jaw and clench your teeth. Your muscles tense up and your hands clench into fists," she said softly, tracing the pads of her fingers down his cheek and over his jaw and he leaned into the touch.

"Ye'd tell mae though?" He pushed.

"I promise, I will tell you," she kissed him chastely and when she drew back, she was glad to see he looked much happier.

"Ye said tha' Fleur took ye shopping in Paris, did ye happen tae buy any underwear? Particularly, what ye were wearing last night?" He asked, trailing kisses down her neck.

She blushed but nodded. "I lost count of the number of shops she dragged me into, and she pretty much purchased everything available. I have suitcases full back at the twin' flat."

Oliver groaned and he pushed her up off him before he dragged her back down so she was straddling him and he pressed his mouth against hers, slipping his tongue through her parted lips to meet with hers.

When Hermione's hips began to rock against him, searching for friction, Oliver stood with Hermione in his arms and he sat her on the kitchen table, his hand travelling between them and he slipped two fingers into her, she moaned against his mouth. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her, pushing his boxers down and he stepped out of them before removing his fingers from inside her and he replaced it with his length as he guided it into her. She arched her back into him and he drew back, watching her carefully for signs of pain and discomfort, being satisfied when he didn't find any. He set a slow and steady rhythm and Hermione pushed her hips to meet his thrusts whilst they both let out noises of pleasure.

"You're holding back," Hermione panted against his ear, struggling to catch her breath. "I can take it," she promised, nipping at his earlobe with her teeth.

He groaned, picked her up and moved across the kitchen until her back hit the wall and her sound of surprise was lost in Oliver's mouth as he claimed her lips. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, he pinned her against the wall and he removed her arms from around his neck and pinned them above her head, her body arching into him. He increased his rhythm and force of thrusts until she was moaning loudly and he was slamming into her, her back hitting against the wall with each thrust. Hermione's eyes fluttered open and her breath caught at the sight of Oliver staring at her, his eyes filled with hunger and passion.

Something inside Hermione snapped. She cursed loudly, threw her head back and her walls clamped around Oliver, pulling him into her. She leaned forward and her mouth latched onto his neck and she sucked over the bite wound. He tried to hold back, he did, but he couldn't and he let go, finding relief inside of her with a groan of her name.

Oliver slumped against her, pinning her to the wall and she removed her hands from his hold and folded her arms around his neck. When he was able to breathe again, he pulled her away from the wall and carried her to their bedroom with him still inside of her and her body locked tightly around his.

"Told you I could take it," she said smugly.

He laughed at her and shook his head. "Yer okay?"

"Yep, exhausted but I'm good," she promised, lowering her head to kiss him. "Wait, you didn't let me finish dinner," she scowled.

He chuckled and kicked the bedroom door shut behind them.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 26

**Wood Apartment - Sunday 2nd August 1998**

Saturday was spent much in the same way as Friday was; lounging around in barely any clothing, laughing, chatting and reading in the library. When Oliver had learned that Hermione no longer felt any soreness he'd soon pounced on her, making it his mission to have her coming undone beneath him no matter the room or surface, but she'd put her foot down when he'd wanted to have sex in her much-loved library.

They'd also had Tillie collect Quaffle from Wood Manor as Hermione'd missed having him around, the playful pup comfortably sleeping on the bed in Hermione's old bedroom. The wedding photographer had also sent over the original copies of the photos, some of which Hermione had duplicated knowing her family would want copies, and the rest they'd scoured through, choosing their favourites before framing them and putting them on the walls in both the living room and down the corridors.

As Sunday morning arrived, Hermione found herself in the middle of a very pleasant dream involving a certain handsome husband of hers. He was kissing and nibbling at her neck and whilst he was rubbing her nub and two fingers were moving in and out of her. She was moaning and rocking her hips against his fingers, chasing the release that eluded her and when she finally tipped off the edge, her eyes flew open and choked gasp caught in her throat, realising that it hadn't been a dream.

"Mornin'," Oliver smiled down at her from his position of being propped up on elbow beside her. As her chest rose and fell, her brow furrowed slightly but when she noticed his erection pressing into her hip, she decided it was time to turn the tables.

The more she and Oliver had sex, the more confident she felt around him, and much to his surprise, she'd gone from shy and blushing to sex kitten in a matter of days.

Hermione rolled over and set her hands against his chest, pushing him onto his back, Oliver raising both eyebrows questioning before a groan caught in the back of his throat when Hermione moved to straddle him, took him in her hand and then she sank onto him. His head fell to be cushioned by the pillow and his hands moved to grip her hips. This was the first time she'd tried this position and Hermione's eyes closed and her head tipped back, taking in the feeling of the new angle, as he seemed to hit a whole new place inside of her.

Hermione wasn't exactly sure what to do next, so with his grip on her hips, Oliver helped guide her in the movements until she got the hang of it and moved without any help, finding her own pace. She pressed her hands against his chest, looking to not only find balance but to have something to grip onto as she felt herself approaching the edge and knowing this, Oliver rolled them and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pinned her hands above her head, her body stretching out beneath him.

As he kissed her, catching her moans and whimpers in his mouth, they were both approaching their release and Oliver shifted his hips, changing the angle of his thrusts, when there was a knock on the apartment door that echoed through the empty apartment, Quaffle's barks mixing with the sound.

Oliver stilled for a brief moment before he shook his head and picked up speed. "Ignore it," he muttered, burying his face against her neck as she nodded, struggling to catch her breath between the moans and pants.

The knocking grew louder and more insistent, as did Quaffle's barking at the door. Hermione and Oliver were close to finding their release but Oliver's annoyance couldn't allow him to relax enough to find it, and with a growled curse, he pulled away from Hermione and climbed off the bed, grabbing a fallen bedsheet from the ground and wrapping around his waist as he stormed from the room.

Hermione would've laughed if she wasn't so worked up and desperate for release, and taking a few breaths to calm herself, she climbed off the bed and reached for the fallen throw blanket, wrapping it around her form.

As Oliver ensured his grip on the bedsheet, he reached for the door handle and pulled it open so fast he almost hit himself in the head, and he murderously glared at the person on the other side of it. It was a woman with dark blonde hair tied back into a bun, green eyes hidden by glasses and she wore dark Ministry robes and carried a briefcase. Her eyes roamed over Oliver's handsome yet angry face, his Quidditch toned chest gleaming with sweat and heaving in his annoyance, the bedsheet he'd wrapped around his waist, before her gaze lowered, landing on the erecting tenting the sheet. Oliver was far from embarrassed and not even his annoyance at her interruption could quell his desire for his wife, someone he had every intention of returning to as quickly as possible.

A blush covered the woman's cheeks and she licked her lips. Oliver's eyes narrowed.

"Can a help ye?" He asked, his tone less than friendly; she was the reason he wasn't currently ravishing his more than willing and beautiful wife.

"Maybe I can help you," she mumbled, something she likely hadn't meant to say aloud, but her gaze had yet to lift to his face.

"A have a wife, an' yer've jus' pulled mae away from her," he said unhappily, glancing at her coldly and at his tone, she finally looked up at him. "What do ye want?"

She cleared her throat but didn't look embarrassed as she straightened her posture. "My name is Karen Smyth, I have been appointed as your Marriage Official," she introduced, her eyes once more lowering to his chest.

At that point, Hermione made an appearance, stepping into view and wrapped in the dark throw cover, the colour contrasting against her skin. She laughed lightly when Quaffle bounded over to her and she greeted him a scratch to the head. As Oliver twisted to look behind him, his expression grew hungry as his eyes devoured her covered knowing, knowing what was hidden from him.

"Who's at the door, Oliver?" She asked, her attention on Quaffle as she crouched down to his level and giggled when he licked her cheek.

"Our Marriage Official," he replied, his voice softer with her as she sent an irritated glance towards the woman.

"What!" Hermione shrieked in mortification, springing to full height as she pulled the covers around her tighter, a blush staining her cheeks. Amused by her reactions, he sent Smyth a cold glance before he gestured for her to step into the apartment and he closed the door behind her.

"I'm going to change," Hermione muttered in embarrassment, but her eyes soon narrowed when she saw the way the Marriage Official was glancing at Oliver, feeling jealously flare up inside her.

"Naw, yer not," Oliver smirked, his eyes deliberately trailing her form, "There's naw point, a'll be ravishing tha' sexy body af yers in naw time."

"Oliver!" Hermione scolded, blushing furiously before she turned and made her way back to their bedroom.

Oliver sighed.

"Take a seat, we'll be back," he said to Smyth and left, too, scratching Quaffle on the head with a "Watch her, Quaffle"

He entered their bedroom and shut the door behind him, spying Hermione stepping into the walk-in wardrobe and he followed after her.

Hermione looked about in surprise, this being the first time she'd seen it and it was huge, being split into two sections. One side of the room was empty, it being obvious that was where her clothing would be stored, and the other side was filled with Oliver's clothing, it all being stored neatly and precisely, everything having its own place, something that surprised her. All button-down shirts and suits were hung up, summer jackets and winter coats and cloaks were hung up separately as well as the robes and formal robes. All Quidditch robes, practice robes and jerseys, both Puddlemere and old Gryffindor, were hung up together and all gloves and pads were in drawers. There was a draw filled with ties and bowties, a draw filled with pyjama bottoms, socks and underwear. Shelves lined the walls that sat folded t-shirts and jeans along with tracksuit bottoms, and there was an eight-foot-tall shoe rack built into the wall, sitting dress shoes, trainers and Quidditch boots, and there was a large mirror in the middle of the room, opposite the entrance. He had more clothing than she did.

Shaking her head, Hermione crossed over to the jerseys and pulled a Puddlemere one from the hanger, dropping the throw cover to the ground before she slipped the jersey over her body, if falling to her mid-thigh and hanging off her shoulder.

Hearing a sigh, Hermione turned around after pulling her hair from beneath the collar, quickly averting her eyes when Oliver stood before her in all his naked glory, his erection standing proudly.

"A think we should finish what we started," he said shamelessly.

"Oliver! She's only down the corridor and waiting for us, put some bloody clothes on! Hermione hissed, her cheeks flaming red.

"Anno," he shrugged, "But it serves her right fer turnin' up on a Sunday befere ten o'clock. It could be the Minister af Magic oot there an' a wouldn't give a toss," he replied, his eye drinking in the sight of her in his jersey, his name and number scrawled across her back.

Upon realising that he was serious and not just messing with her, her eyes widened before she darted around him and out of the wardrobe, but before she could make it to the bedroom door, Oliver had caught her, hiked her up so her legs were around his waist and pressed her against the bedroom wall.

After checking to see if she was ready for him and despite her protests, he found she was, Oliver shifted her weight, angled his hips and entered her, Hermione choking on a moan and Oliver sighing as his head tipped forward.

"This is gonna be quick, but a promise it'll feel jus' as good as any other time we've done this. An' feel free tae make as much noise as ye want," he breathed against her ear.

A shiver raced down her spine and then he started moving his hips, and being glad that his jersey was so big on her smaller frame, he pushed the collar down and lowered his mouth, latching onto a nipple as he set a hurried and almost punishing pace. She clung to him and tugged at his hair harshly. Oliver was right, it _did_ feel good and it didn't take them long to find the release they'd been denied not too long ago. Trying to muffle her noises of pleasure by burying her face against him didn't work when he hit that spot inside of her that her seeing stars and crying out his name.

Her nails clawed at his back and feeling territorial over the fact that the woman in her apartment had been blatantly ogling her husband, she sunk her teeth into his neck in the exact same place she had their wedding night. The feeling of Hermione's walls clamping around him tightly to the point it was almost painful, her loud moans, and her raking her nails down his back was too much to bear, and when she bit him, he lost all control and found his release with a muffled groan of her name.

"I'm sorry for biting you again," Hermione said guiltily through her pants. He lifted his head from her neck, his expression amused. "I couldn't help it, I'm feeling a little territorial and I didn't like the way she was staring at you, she looked about ready to jump you and my instincts told me to mark you."

"Am yers; ye have nothin' tae worry aboot," he promised.

"I know and I'm yours, but that doesn't stop my feelings or instincts."

He kissed her before setting back on her feet, steadying her when she wobbled and after she found her balance, he quickly retrieved some underwear and a pair of tracksuit bottoms and slipped them on.

"Aren't you going to put on a shirt?"

"Naw, yer feelin' territorial an' her seeing the bite mark an' the scratches on me back will help ye with tha'; am showcasing tha' am yers."

"You're being very sweet about all this. I thought you'd make fun of me."

"Don' get mae wrong, a think it's funny as hell, but it wouldn't bode well fer mae tae wind ye up. Not when ye can hex mae or take away the thing a love the most."

"What?" She tipped her head, her brow furrowing in confusion.

He slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her into him, his other hand coming up to her face as the calloused pads of his fingers traced down her cheek and over her lips. "This." He traced his fingers down her neck, over her heart and over her breasts. "This." He traced his fingers down her clothed stomach and to her bare thigh. "Yer kisses, yer mind, yer body, yer heart an' yer love," he muttered softly, staring into her eyes.

"I will never grow tired of loving you," she sighed, her chest pooling with warmth and affection. She didn't know it was possible to love someone so much.

"An' a'll love ye forever," he kissed her softly, smiling down at her. "Besides, she may not even be oot there. We were very loud," he smirked and she blushed.

"Let's go and check."

After casting a quick Cleaning Charm and _Accio_ ing a pair of sleep shorts, she slipped them on underneath her jersey and they made their way to the living room with Hermione tucked into Oliver's side and an arm around his waist and he had one around her shoulders and as they stepped into view, they both looked far less irritated and had small smiles on their faces.

Smyth shuffled in her seat when she saw them and she felt herself growing warm and her face flushed. She'd heard every moan, groan, curse and cry and she knew exactly what they'd been doing. It didn't help matters when she saw Hermione's crinkled jersey and messed up hair or Oliver's messed up hair and smug expression. As she sat in the centre of the corner suite, Quaffle was curled up on the armchair, his eyes solely focused on her.

"I'm going to make some tea, would you like one?" Hermione asked both Oliver and Smyth and when she received their answers, she walked into the kitchen and Oliver took a seat on the couch opposite Smyth, watching her with a smirk playing at his lips. Hermione returned not long later, setting hers and Oliver's tea on the coffee table and then taking a seat beside him, snuggling into Oliver's shirtless side with her feet pulled up onto the couch and his arm around her shoulders. Once she'd gotten comfortable, Quaffle jumped off the armchair and climbed onto the couch next to Oliver, wriggling himself in-between the armrest and Oliver, partially sprawled across his lap.

"What can we do fer ye?" Oliver asked the flushed woman who was squirming in her seat and her eyes were darting between Hermione and him.

She cleared her throat, reached for her briefcase and removed a self-inking quill and a stack of papers which she placed on the glass coffee table.

"There are a series of questions I need to ask yourself and Miss. Granger."

"Mrs. Wood," Oliver corrected instantly, pinning her with a look of warning.

"Mrs. Wood, my apologies," she said, sending a less than friendly glance to Hermione. "Firstly, has the marriage been consummated?"

Oliver snorted and Hermione rolled her eyes before she lifted her right hand to show the gold wedding ring. Smyth knew fine well it had been given what she and Oliver had been up to whilst she waited for them to return. Glowering, she scribbled on the parchment before her.

"Would you describe your relationship to be a happy one?"

"Look around," Oliver replied with a gestured wave of his arm towards the framed photographs framing the walls.

Smyth's eyes flittered about, seeing the walls covered with framed photos of him, Hermione and their family. In each one they were smiling and laughing and kissing. She scowled and wrote down her answer whilst keeping an eye on the newlyweds, observing their interactions and behaviour.

Hermione had her left hand pressed against Oliver's shirtless chest, her fingers tracing patterns absentmindedly whilst they stared at each other lovingly. Oliver had an arm around her shoulders as he played with a curl of her hair and Quaffle was beside Oliver and he had his other hand scratching Quaffle's stomach.

"Aside from the photos, I need evidence that you are making an effort in the marriage, so I must ask you both a series of questions which you must answer for the other."

"Will this be publicised?" Hermione questioned, eyeing the woman before her carefully.

"No, Miss. Granger..."

"Mrs. Wood," Oliver corrected, interrupting her.

"Mrs. Wood, these files are confidential and will be stored at the Ministry. Only a small selection of people will have access to them and their contents."

"That doesn't mean that it won't be leaked," she pointed out, "Our wedding date was leaked before we had the chance to send out the invitations."

"Security measures will be taken," Smyth replied tartly. "Now, moving on, what is your partner's favourite colour?"

"Oliver's is midnight blue," Hermione answered easily.

"Sparrow doesn't have one, it changes with her mood," Oliver shrugged whilst Smyth jotted down their answers.

"Favourite place to shop?" She asked.

"Easy, Muggle London," Oliver shrugged.

"And for Oliver, it's a tossup between the Quidditch shop and Muggle London."

"Favourite place to be?"

Oliver snorted. "There's naw point in even asking tha', _everyone_ knows," he said, looking down at Hermione amused. "It's the library, the kitchen or the lake at Wood Manor."

"And Oliver's is the Puddlemere Stadium, the lake at Wood Manor or his old treehouse."

"Birthdays?" She asked and they both rolled their eyes before sharing an annoyed glance.

"Oliver's is 13th January 1976."

"Sparrow's is 19th September 1979."

"NEWT results?"

"Oliver got four E's and two O's," Hermione answered, her head tilting to lean against Oliver's shoulder, having long since grown bored of the easy line of questioning. If this was what the Ministry deemed as the paired wizarding folk 'getting to know one another' then the other forced couples were screwed.

"Hermione's yet tae take her NEWTs, and will be doin' so in September, but she'll get all O's," he said proudly.

She asked a few more questions on similar topics before she asked for a tour of the apartment, Hermione being unsure if it was required or if she was just being a nosey cow, wanting to see the home of Oliver Wood. Hermione wouldn't be surprised if Smyth was one of Oliver's fangirls, judging by the glances she kept shooting her way.

But not wanting to pick a fight with the woman, she and Oliver appeased her, Hermione taking pride in the way Smyth's eyes widened upon seeing Oliver's scratched back and the bite mark on his neck.

They gave her a quick tour around the apartment, not lingering on one room too long as they wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, which is when they finally reached the last few rooms in the apartment and they stopped at Hermione's old bedroom.

"Do you share a bedroom?" The woman questioned.

"Aye, we do, we jus' havnae moved Hermione's stuff intae our room yet as we've been _preoccupied_ ," Oliver smirked and Hermione smacked at his arm with the back of her hand.

"What will this be?" She asked, looking about the empty and not yet decorated room.

"We've decided it will be a study area an' potions lab, so Hermione can prepare fer her practical exams and continue inventing products fer her brother's joke shop in her spare time," Oliver answered, walking away and towards the library and after a quick look into the room, they came to the final room, their bedroom.

Smyth's eyes widened, not only due to the sheer size, but it wasn't exactly spotless with bedsheets, pillows, cushions and items of clothing littering the floor.

"Does your room always look like this?" She asked with a snooty tone Hermione didn't appreciate.

_How dare she?_

Oliver felt Hermione bristle beside him and he reached out, nudging Hermione to stand before him and he folded his arms around her stomach, resting his chin on her shoulder. Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, he placed a kiss against her neck, a smirk tugging at his mouth when he saw the jealously that flashed through Smyth's eyes.

"Naw, it doesn't, but what can I say? This is our honeymoon weekend an' a have a beautiful wife tha' a cannae help but ravish," he replied. Hermione elbowed him and he sniggered before she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room and back to the living room, retaking their previous seats.

"I am happy to confirm this apartment is suitable to house children," said Smyth, scribbling away at her parchment.

"I'll say," Hermione snorted, "It's bigger than my parent's house," she joked.

"I imagine it would be," Smyth replied snidely and Oliver's eyes narrowed dangerously, having had enough of her sly little digs. "Now, I assume you will be complying with the rules?"

"What? Aboot ravishing me wife? Naw worries there," Oliver assured her, sniggering when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

"You cannot use any form of contraceptives, including magical and muggle. If you are not expecting a child or birthed a child by this time next year, charges will be brought against you unless proven infertile."

"We know," Hermione sighed with a roll of her eyes, being tired of being reminded of the rules that hung over them. "I may, however, be infertile."

"What?" Smyth said quickly.

"Me wife may be infertile due tae consequences af the war."

"How long have you been aware of this?"

"Twa weeks befere the wedding," Oliver shrugged, not seeing an issue with it.

"And you did not petition for a new match, knowing that Miss. Granger may not be able to comply with the law or give you children?" She said in a tone that Oliver didn't like and he sat forward, his elbows propped on his knees and his hands clasped as he narrowed his eyes into slits. He was furious.

"Miss. Smyth, me choices regarding me marriage an' my wife are none af yer concern. Me wife made mae fully aware af her situation an' with plenty af time tae allow mae tae petition the Ministry if a wished tae. She practically begged mae tae ask the Ministry fer a new match, but a refused. A love me wife, Miss. Smyth, an' whether or not she can have children is irrelevant. There are other options fer us, including adoption. Jus' 'coz me wife may not be able tae have biological children doesn't mean a love her any less. She's a war veteran an' a hero. She suffered so tha' stuck up cows like ye could live freely an' withoot dictatorship. If a were ye, a'd be thankful this world has someone who would stand up an' fight fer it," Oliver said coldly, pinning the woman with a cold glare.

"A married me wife 'coz a wanted tae, not 'coz a was forced tae. She wears me ring an' has taken me name 'coz she chose tae. As far as we're concerned, this whole shit-show tha' is the law, doesn't apply tae us. We'll comply with the rules as expected but tha' the extent af it. A won't stand fer ye picking apart me marriage or me wife, an' a swear, if ye don' change yer attitude an' stop making sly little digs at her fer whatever reason it is yer doin' it fer, a'll report ye tae yer department head an' Minister Shacklebolt, someone who's good friends with Hermione," Hermione warned.

"Oliver," Hermione muttered, her hand coming to rest on his arm. He looked at her over his shoulder before sitting back and tugging her into his side, pulling her legs so they were thrown over his lap and he ran his fingers over her soft skin whilst the other was slotted around her back, his hand pressed against her stomach under her jersey.

"I suggest we get on with this meeting," Hermione said calmly, breaking the tense silence that had settled in the room.

Smyth shook her head, her eyes darting between Oliver and Hermione before she cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably.

"Agreed. I need to know your routine, what you do daily?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "It's pretty much the same as it was before the wedding."

"Except now a ravish her at any chance a get," Oliver added, looking to Hermione amusedly when she blushed. "What? It's true," he said innocently.

"Your routine?" Smyth pressed.

"I wake around eight," Hermione started.

"Then a wake after her an' ravish her," Oliver interjected. Hermione's blush darkened.

"I make breakfast for myself, Oliver and Quaffle and..." She was cut off.

"What do you have for breakfast?" Smyth asked.

"That depends, sometimes it's a full English breakfast, other times it's banana or chocolate chip pancakes, sometimes it's waffles or toast, eggs and bacon, sometimes we have hash browns and blueberry pancakes and sometimes we just have cereal."

"What do you do next?"

"I'll make lunch for the team," she answered.

"An' a'll try an' ravish her again an' 'coz she cannae resist mae, she'll give in," Oliver said smugly.

"I'll shower and dress," Hermione said, shooting Oliver an annoyed glance.

"A'll try an' ravish her in the shower an' she'll probably hex mae," he added.

Hermione smacked his arm with the back of her hand before looking to the uncomfortable Smyth. "Depending on how long we've got left, Oliver and I go over plays for the team or I do a little revision for my NEWTs."

"We leave fer work around quarter tae ten," Oliver picked up, "An' we'll come home no later than half six, depending on whether a shower at the stadium. Hermione'll make dinner an' a'll sit at the table, talking with her. After dinner, a'll help with wishing the dishes an' then we'll either sit in the living room, the library or our bedroom."

"Oliver'll read or go over plays and I'll work on my books, do some revision or read whilst Quaffle sits with us and chews on something he's not supposed to," Hermione continued, looking at her sleeping puppy fondly.

"We'll head tae bed around eleven o'clock, an' a'll ravish her at least twice befere calling it a night," finished Oliver, sniggering when Hermione kicked him.

"There was a lot of ravishing in there," Hermione muttered and Oliver smirked whilst Smyth shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Oh? An' it's all gonna happen," he promised, looking to her with a hungry expression and Hermione's blush returned to her cheeks.

"What's your weekly routine?"

"Four nights a week, my brothers, Fred and George, come over for dinner. Oliver and I work from ten o'clock until six o'clock, Monday to Saturday. Sunday we have dinner over at the Weasley's house and Oliver's parents now join us. Monday, we usually go food shopping after work, some nights we stay home and others we'll visit Diagon Alley or go to the lake at Wood Manor. On the days that there's a match, if the team wins they go out for the victory party and I'll come home with Quaffle and do some work. Oliver's always back before midnight."

"Well, am not gonna stay oot late when a have a stunning wife tha' needs ravishing, am I?" He argued. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Speaking af which, yer comin' with us next time."

"You don't want me to go out with you and the team," she protested.

"Aye, a really do. Ye can scare away the fangirls so we can have some peace while we celebrate."

She snorted. "I'll drink you all under the table. You think fire whiskey's bad? You should try muggle alcohol; the alcohol percentage is almost double. You and the boys wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"Tha' settles it, yer comin' so a can see ye royally kick their arses."

She snorted before turning her eyes back to Smyth, being thankful for her next words.

"That concludes the Ministry check, for now. You will next receive a visit in two to three months time." With that said, she packed up her briefcase and Oliver showed her out and locked the door after her.

He pounced on Hermione, sending her backwards on the couch and she laughed at him as he hovered over her.

"It's aboot time she left, am dying tae see another af yer tattoos," he grinned.

"Well, I suppose you have been very sweet about the fact that I bit you again," she mused, reaching up to brush his hair out of his eyes.

He sat up and she followed him, lifting her right leg and resting her foot in his lap, twisting her foot until he could see her outer ankle and she removed the Glamour Charm, her tattoo appearing. Above her ankle sat a pretty red rose with pink highlights and green leaves, and above the rose were two butterflies with their wings spread. One was lilac, the other ultramarine blue. He smiled at how feminine and cute it was and he reached out, tracing the design with his finger.

"When did ye get it an' why?"

"I got it about three weeks after the Final Battle, and it's for my parents. Red roses symbolise love and they were my mother's favourite flower. Butterflies were one of my father's favourite animals, I don't know why, he just loved them. I remember he used to collect them. My mother's favourite colour was lilac and my father's was ultramarine blue. It's in memory of them, so I don't forget the little things."

He smiled before lifting her ankle and pressing a kiss over the tattoo. "Yer've got one more," he reminded.

"Wouldn't you rather be surprised?"

"Nope, a wanna see it now," he said, giving her his best puppy dog eyes and she laughed at how ridiculous he looked.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes in defeat.

She shifted the jersey slightly so that he could see her right collar bone and then she cancelled the Glamour Charm, revealing the seven small black silhouettes of flying birds.

"When an' why?" He asked, reaching out to trace the tattoo with his fingers.

"I got this one the night of the Final Battle. It's to represent my freedom. For seven years, I fought a war and there was danger lurking around every corner. Now, I can make my own choices and live my life how I want to. There are seven birds, one to represent each year of the war. Seven years of living in fear."

"What would ye think if a got one?"

"A tattoo?" She checked and he nodded. "I don't know, it's very painful," she teased.

"A can handle the pain," he argued. Hermione looked at him disbelievingly and Oliver narrowed his eyes, laughter peeling from her when he proceeded to tickle her, only stopping when she begged and her eyes were watering. "Seriously though?"

"It's your body; you can do what you want with it. It wouldn't bother me. In fact, I think Charlie will love us. He won't be the only one to have tattoos and Maji won't scold him as much since her attention will turn to us," she shrugged. Oliver laughed. "If you get one, I'll have to heal you, it takes a while for the skin to heal and you'll be sore and itchy for a few days. And if you get hit by a bludger in the same place as your tattoo..." Hermione trailed off, allowing him to come to his own conclusions.

"A think a want tae get one," he nodded to himself.

"If that's what you want to do."

"Are ye gonna get any more?"

"I'm not sure," she answered thoughtfully. "No one would expect the prim and proper Hermione Granger to have something so permanent."

"But yer not Hermione Granger. Yer Hermione _Wood_ ," he corrected and she smiled at him. "Will ye do somethin' fer mae?"

"Anything," she nodded.

"Don' wear a jacket tamorrow tae the stadium an' don' Glamour an' cover yourself." She frowned at him. "It's the middle af summer an' the weather's boiling, it's tae warm fer ye tae be wearing a jacket an' bundling up, an' yer scars aren't somethin' ye should be hiding; they're a part af ye an' covering them is ye not being yerself."

"Rule forty-nine, be who you are and don't hide your true self," Hermione mused thoughtfully.

"If it's one af yer rues then ye should follow it," Oliver said softly. "Ye won't be looked at any differently. Instead, they'll see what a see, a beautiful an' strong young woman. Ye'll be showcasing tae the world tha' yer a survivor an' tha' ye don' let the horrors af yer past dictate ye. Ye'll be a role model."

"Okay, I won't wear a jacket or Glamours," she agreed and Oliver smiled proudly. "You just want the team to see my tattoos," she accused.

Oliver chuckled. "Aye, a do, they're sexy as hell, they'll be even more jealous," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes at him. "So, you want a tattoo?" He nodded. "Why don't we go into Muggle London today and you can get one?"

"Or we can stay here all day so a can ravish ye," he offered. She arched an eyebrow. "Or it can wait till we get back."

She laughed. "Any idea of what you want?"

"Anno exactly what a want," he said vaguely, smiling at her knowingly.

"I forget to tell you that Coach owled yesterday morning whilst you were finishing in the shower. Apparently, I get my own office."

"Really?" Oliver looked pleased at hearing the news.

"Hmm, he asked me how I wanted it to look, so I drew out a plan and informed him of colour choices and sent a reply with the owl that was waiting. I get my own bathroom. too"

"A bathroom _in_ yer office?"

"Apparently, so," she shrugged. "I think while we're out we should head to Diagon Alley and get an owl."

"Hmm, it'd be much easier than havin' tae borrow me parents," Oliver said thoughtfully. "We may as well visit Gringotts whilst we're there an' get ye added tae me account."

"If they let me in," she shrugged.

"An' why wouldn't they let ye in?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I broke in, stole from a vault, broke out and stole their guard dragon and then set it free."

"Ah, fergot 'boot tha'," he said, scratching his chin and she laughed at him.

"So, we'll go to Gringotts first, then to the Eeylops Owl Emporium, we'll drop our owl off here and then we'll head into Muggle London and get you a tattoo. We can see about getting some DVD's whilst we're there and start building a collection. Are we going to the Burrow tonight for dinner?"

"May as well," he nodded, "Let the family know we survived all the sex."

She blushed and he laughed.

"I'll make breakfast." She jumped up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen.

"An' a'll distract ye," he said, following her and she laughed and ran as he chased her.

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London**

Hermione'd dressed in a white spaghetti strap top, black shorts, white converse and a white cover-up and just as Oliver had asked, she hadn't Glamoured any of her scars (well, except her Mudblood one, but that was understandable). And Oliver dressed in jeans, a black form-fitting short-sleeved t-shirt and black trainers, forgoing a jacket given the warm weather.

They'd been to Diagon Alley and Hermione'd been correct about Gringotts; they'd been less than welcoming and barely let her set foot in the building and Quaffle had to wait outside. Hermione's and Oliver's vaults and accounts had been combined and they were the sole people who could access it.

They'd then visited Eeylops Owl Emporium and purchased an owl. As they wandered through the shop, Hermione had noticed a snowy owl in the back corner of the room sat in a cage and she'd fallen in love with it immediately, rushing over to it with Oliver laughing and following her at a leisurely pace. The snowy owl was strikingly different from others that shared its name. This owl was smaller, had beautiful bright blue eyes and it had a distinctive purple-blue pattern to its soft white feathers. When they'd asked the manager about the owl, he'd informed them that the owl was female, barely three-months-old and was set to be euthanized due to her undesired appearance. It was common to see snowy owls with a black pattern to their feathers, and it was rare to see one with blue eyes as most had a yellow-orange colour, but this owl was an anomaly and due to her 'deformity' as he'd called it, was due to be put to sleep. Hermione had acted immediately and insisted that she purchase the owl and the owner was more than glad to have it taken off his hands.

Hermione and Oliver purchased the small and unique snowy owl along with plenty of owl treats before they headed back to the apartment, releasing the owl from the cage and she flew around the room happily and Quaffle barked and chased after her. They named her Alium -Ali for short- which was Latin for different.

They left Ali to explore the apartment and Hermione, Quaffle and Oliver went into Muggle London. They'd purchased many DVD's that they were curious about and they hid in an alleyway and banished them back to the apartment and then they visited a tattoo parlour.

And that's where they could be found, Hermione and Oliver were inside whilst Quaffle obediently waited in the reception area of the building. Oliver perched in the comfortable chair whilst Hermione sat beside him, holding the t-shirt he'd taken off after she'd Glamoured Oliver's neck and back, daring him to remove them and after seeing the frightening look in her eyes, he'd decided to keep them on.

The tattoo artist they were with had dark brown hair, green eyes, his arms were covered in tattoos and he looked to be in his mid-twenties. They'd learned his name was Liam.

"So, is this your first tattoo?" Liam asked and Oliver nodded as the older man slipped on his gloves and picked up the tattoo gun.

"I've told him it's going to hurt."

"You have tattoos?" Liam asked, looking to her questioningly.

She nodded. "Three."

As a result of not wearing any Glamours, her tattoos were on display. She lifted her right foot so he could see her ankle and she shifted her jacket so he could see her collar bone.

"I have a phoenix near my right hip, too."

After complimenting the work, he turned back to Oliver, making a start on the design and Oliver hissed in surprise, Hermione sniggering at him. She didn't know what he was getting because he wanted it to be a surprise, no matter who many times she'd asked.

"So, how d'you know each other?" Liam asked, making conversation whilst his eyes were firmly locked on his task.

"She's me wife," said Oliver proudly.

Liam whistled in appreciation. "You did well for yourself there, Mate," he replied and Hermione blushed and averted her gaze.

"Yer've naw idea," Oliver replied.

"How long you been married?"

"We got married on Thursday," Hermione answered.

"Are you here on your honeymoon?"

"No, we haven't had one due to work commitments."

"Surely you could've taken some time off," Liam's brow furrowed before his tongue poked out of the side of his mouth as he focused on a particularly detailed aspect of the design.

"Oliver's a professional athlete and I'm the Junior Coach of his team. We're in the middle of game season," she said and Liam nodded in understanding. "In fact, we have a match on Wednesday, we're travelling to Ireland."

"We're having a honeymoon _after_ the season's over," spoke Oliver.

The continued to chat and Liam laughed as Hermione and Oliver bickered and taunted each other and once he'd finished, he drew back, looking pleased with himself before he handed Oliver a handheld mirror so he was able to look at his new and completed tattoo.

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth parted at the sight. On his left pectoral muscle and sitting above his heart, he had a tattoo of a sparrow. It looked rather big for such a small bird, and it was black and grey with some shading, it was incredibly detailed but it still appeared simple and beautiful.

"You got a sparrow?" Her voice squeaked and he nodded with a smile.

"A rather like it, helps ye tae fend aff all the fangirls, tae," he said amusedly, winking at her.

Seeing Liam's confused expression as he wrapped the tattoo up, Hermione said,

"It's what he calls me."

Nodding, he said, "So, whilst you're here, are you up to getting another tattoo?"

She shrugged. "May as well but I haven't really thought about what I want next," she replied, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

After a few minutes of thought, Hermione removed her cover-up and swapped places with Oliver, sitting with her back facing Liam and she pulled her hair over her shoulder, out of the way as Liam set to work on her right shoulder.

"If you don't mind me asking, these scars?" He said

Hermione flinched and Oliver gave her an encouraging smile and she took a deep breath.

"I was a soldier of war."

"Was? You seem a bit young to be a soldier," he observed.

"I've come to learn war doesn't care for age," she muttered.

"Well, you should be proud of your scars. Show them off and fuck what everyone else thinks. You're a hero and a survivor. "So, how did the two of you meet?"

"We went tae the same boarding school fer people with special talents. A was four years ahead af her."

"That's cool," he remarked, "What's your special talent then?"

Hermione snorted. "Does having an ego the size of Mount Everest count?" She teased and Liam snorted.

"Does havin' a temper more frightening than fear itself count?" Oliver cheeked and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him as Liam laughed.

"Anyway, when I retired from the service, I moved in with my brothers and I worked at their joke shop until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I met Oliver and then eventually I met the team and their wives," she said.

"They not nice people?" Liam guessed, seeing Oliver's scowl.

"About as nice as getting eaten alive by piranhas," Hermione replied. Oliver had no idea what she was talking about, but judging by the way Liam winced, he suspected it wasn't a good thing.

"They're malicious, vindictive an' bitchy. They look down on everyone an' a've already had tae ban one af them from the stadium an' home games," said Oliver.

"Why?"

"Hermione's allergic tae coconut an' she had a bad allergic reaction the day she met the team. A had tae take her tae hospital an' we discovered tha' one of the girlfriends was wearing coconut oil an' she refused ta wash it aff after ordered tae do so. Hermione came oot with the best comeback a've ever heard," he snorted.

"What'd you say?" Liam asked, curiously arching an eyebrow.

"I think it was something along lines of her looking like a greased up baby with wrinkles," she said.

Liam burst out laughing and had to pull the tattoo gun away from her.

"There Hermione was lying on the floor recovering from an allergic reaction an' she comes oot with tha'. It was brilliant," Oliver shook his head. "A few days after, she leaked tae the press tha' we were getting married an' as a result, Hermione was attacked at her brother's shop by me fans," Oliver grumbled unhappily.

Liam looked stunned and Hermione nodded at him.

"Both Oliver and Coach banned her from the stadium that day. I had to quit working at my brother's shop for my safety and I was hired by Coach Burton to be the new Junior Coach."

"Hang on, Coach Burton?" Liam said in shock, his eyes widening. "Coach Burton? Coach _Ted_ Burton?"

Hermione and Oliver shared a surprised glance before they turned to him slowly.

"How'd you know?" They chorused.

Liam glanced around nervously, put down the tattoo gun and glanced around once more before whispering,

"I'm a Half-blood."

Hermione spun in her chair to face him before wandlessly muttering a _Silencio_ , preventing anyone from overhearing their conversation.

"What?"

"I'm a Half-blood wizard," he repeated. "I moved to the Muggle World when there were rumours of You-Know-Who's return, I haven't been back to the Wizarding World."

"I don't believe it," Hermione laughed in disbelief. "Out of all the muggle tattoo parlours we could possibly go to, we come to this one were our tattoo artist is a wizard," she shook her head.

"So, I'm guessing that you play for Puddlemere Untied and you're the Junior Coach," Liam said.

"Oliver made Captain this year and he's the Keeper. We won the war. Voldemort's gone and the majority of Death Eaters are in Azkaban or dead. It's safe for you to return to the Wizarding World," she promised and he looked relieved by the news.

"So, what was your name before you married?"

"Hermione Granger." His eyes widened. "You've heard of me?" She estimated.

"Who hasn't?" He snorted. "Even before I left you were all over the newspapers. The most famous Muggleborn witch is in my shop," he shook his head in disbelief. "How's it fairing on the other side?"

"Surprisingly well, everyone's getting on with their lives. Except there's now a marriage law."

"What? Seriously?" He stuttered.

"Unfortunately," she nodded, quickly explaining the reasoning behind it and the stipulations it came with.

"If I was going to come back, I'd have to marry a stranger?" He frowned.

"Not necessarily," she shrugged, "They may give you an exemption as you need time to settle back in. But if they do give you a match, it's supposedly your perfect match."

"So how long have you two _actually_ been together?" He eyed them curiously.

"Not tha' long," Oliver shrugged. "But tha' doesn't matter tae us. We took the time tae get tae know one another, we put in the effort, an' she moved in with mae befere our wedding so we had time tae get used tae each other being in such close quarters. An' we married 'coz we wanted tae, not 'coz we were forced tae," Oliver looked to Hermione, sharing a smile with her. "Anyway, the league's back underway. We've had three games so far; Montrose Magpies, Wimbourne Wasps an' the Holyhead Harpies. We won all three," he gloated and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Didn't I tell you he had a big ego?" She sighed and Liam laughed. "We've got a match on Wednesday against the Ballycastle Bats. If you want to come, we can get you a ticket."

"Really?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes," she nodded.

"That's great, thanks. I miss Quidditch."

"I'll owl it to you tomorrow, and I'll have a room booked for you so you can stay in the same hotel as us."

"Ye wanna come tae the victory party?" Oliver asked.

"You don't know that we'll win," Hermione pointed out.

"With ye knocking us intae shape we'll win," he replied confidently.

"He has got a point; if we win, do you want to celebrate? Oliver doesn't believe that muggle alcohol is twice as strong as wizarding alcohol, or that I can drink him under the table."

Liam laughed. "I'll make sure to bring plenty of muggle alcohol, just so I can see you out drink the team," he agreed.

It didn't take long for him to finish Hermione's tattoo and she walked over to the mirror and turned and looked over her shoulder, smiling at the sight of the black cat in a sitting position with a witches hat on its head and a broom stood next to it.

Hermione thanked Liam as did Oliver before they paid and left him a huge tip and took their leave, returning to the apartment.

~000~000~000

**Wood Apartment**

"There's still one scar ye havnae shown mae yet," Oliver said as they sat on the couch together in the living room, watching Ali fly around happily whilst Quaffle chased her. "If ye think a dinnae notice tha' ye Glamoured it, yer wrong 'coz a did."

"I don't like looking at it," she confessed quietly.

"Well, ye don' have tae, a will."

She looked at his hopeful expression before sighing in defeat, removing her cover-up and holding out her left forearm, her eyes closing. Oliver reached for his wand on the glass coffee table and removed the Glamour, his breath hitching as he stared at the scar, a glower appearing at the sight of the word 'Mudblood', forever being carved into her, marring her beautiful skin. He tenderly traced it with his fingers and pressed a kiss to it, Hermione's eyes fluttering open.

"This word doesn't define ye. Yer a beautiful, strong an' powerful Muggleborn witch. Tha' means ye can survive in both worlds an' ye have magical ancestry. This scar's a reminder tha' ye beat her. Ye survived her torture," he told her softly. Hermione slowly nodded. "Please don' ever cover yer scars again."

She pulled her arm back before turning her attention to healing his tattoo, it no longer looking as though he'd just gotten it done, rather it looked weeks old. Once she was done, she taught Oliver a few healing spells which he used on her tattoo to take down any swelling, itchiness and redness.

He then proceeded to ravish her on the couch.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

Hermione and Oliver floo'd to the Burrow and they'd decided to bring Ali along to meet the family. Everyone had already beaten them there including Oliver's parents and Charlie was still visiting but would be returning to Romania the next morning. Quaffle barged into the kitchen and they could hear them laughing as Hermione and Oliver followed him.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Alium, Ali for short," Hermione announced as they entered the kitchen to see everyone sat around the table.

"She's beautiful," Charlie remarked, being the ever animal lover. Ali perked up and flew off Hermione's hand and over to Charlie, perching on his shoulder and she pecked his ear and nuzzled his cheek. Hermione scowled and they sniggered at her.

"Traitor," she muttered, Oliver chuckling and leading her own to the two empty seats at the table.

"A've never seen anythin' like her before, she's beautiful," Mrs. Wood complimented and it earned her an affectionate hoot from Ali.

"The manager at Eeylops was going to have her euthanized. Apparently, she has a deformity," she scoffed.

"I don't see anything wrong with her," Charlie's brow furrowed as he offered his hand and the little owl hopped onto it, Charlie's eyes narrowing in search of something he may have missed.

"He meant her appearance. It's common for snowy owls to have black patterns on their feathers and it's rare for them to have blue eyes, but Ali's smaller, has blue eyes _and_ she has the purple-blue pattern on her feathers. It's never been seen before and instead of realising that she's a one of a kind, he was going to have her killed," she scowled.

"Well, I don't care what anyone says about her, she's stunning," Charlie said passionately and the owl nuzzled him again and hooted.

"How has your weekend been, Dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked as the food was being passed around and people were filling their plates.

"Good," she answered. "Relaxing and quiet, something I needed." Fleur gave Hermione a questioning look and Hermione subtly nodded receiving a smile in response. "We've framed some of the wedding photos and put them up already, and we're turning the empty room into a study area and potions lab so I can make products for the joke shop again instead of just designing them." The twins looked overjoyed at the news. "I've also finished my journals for my second year and I'm halfway through my third year. Unfortunately, we were visited by a Marriage Official today."

"Already?" The twins chorused in surprise.

Hermione nodded. "What was her name again?" She asked Oliver.

"Karen Smyth," he grumbled, "A dinnae like her, she was an awful woman."

She snorted. "Neither did I," she agreed.

"Why?" Bill arched an eyebrow; it took a lot for Hermione to dislike someone.

"She was rude an' kept making sly digs aboot Hermione and she questioned me choices in me marriage but she soon corrected her appalling behaviour when a threatened tae report her tae her department head fer unprofessionalism," said Oliver, glowering down at his plate and spearing his chicken with his fork more forceful than necessary.

"Tha' ridiculous," his mother fumed angrily.

They both nodded.

"She refused tae call me Mrs. Wood, it was always Miss. Granger," added Hermione. "I think she might've been one of his fangirls, given the way she kept stealing glances at him and all but glared at me."

"A don' know what right she thought she had tae question me decision tae marry Hermione an' not petition fer a new match," he grumbled.

"Why would ye do tha'?" His mother tipped her head in confusion.

Hermione and Oliver shared a look with the twins before Hermione sighed, deciding it was time to tell them and Oliver held her hand above the table, rubbing his thumb over the back of it comfortingly.

"Due to my suffering in the war I...I... Well, I may not be able to have children," she confessed quietly. They all gaped at her. "My stomach, in particular, received a lot of damage, particularly during my torture sessions," she said sadly and she kept her eyes downcast.

"Hermione told mae befere the wedding, so tha' a could petition the ministry fer a new match but a refused tae abandon her. Jus' 'coz she may not be able tae have children doesn't mean a love her any less. An' we have other options, we could always adopt. A've assured Hermione tha' if we adopt, the children won't be loved any less an' they will be considered family." He gave everyone a look that dared them to disagree with him.

"Of course, we won't. We will love anyone you bring into this family unconditionally," Mrs. Weasley said softly, and then the subject was dropped.

Hermione removed her cover-up, being too warm and when they noticed her scars -she Glamoured her tattoos- they stared at her. She pretended not to notice and continued eating and after a few seconds, everyone else did, too, them being forgotten.

"So, what did Smyth want to know?" Percy asked.

Hermione answered, only because she knew Percy was due to marry and he would be receiving visits before long.

"In all honesty, I don't know if what she was asking us was Ministry approved or if she was just being a nosey hag. She wanted us to give her a tour of the apartment, asked if we were sharing a bedroom and what each room in the apartment was being used for. She confirmed the apartment was suitable for children and when I jokingly told her the apartment was bigger than my parent's house, she made a comment that I didn't appreciate," Hermione said. "She asked us questions and we had to answer for each other, proving that we'd taken the time and effort to make the marriage work."

"Our birthdays, favourite colours, favourite places tae go, what we got on our NEWTs, things like tha'," Oliver listed. "She wanted to know our daily routine and our weekly routine... The nosey bastard," he grumbled. Hermione tutted at Oliver and they sniggered at them.

"When she left, we went to Diagon Alley. I was barely let into Gringotts," she sighed and they laughed at her. "We bought Ali, then we went into Muggle London and bought a few things before we a tattoo parlour." They choked on their food in surprise and Hermione and Oliver laughed. "Unexpectedly, we discovered that Liam, our tattoo artist, was a Half-blood who'd moved to the Muggle World before the war. We're sending him tickets to the Ballycastle Bats game."

"Who got a tattoo?" Mr. Wood asked curiously.

"It was obviously, Wood. Hermione would never get a tattoo," Charlie scoffed and Hermione had to stop herself from laughing. "Show us then," he encouraged.

Shrugging, Oliver stood from his chair and lifted his shirt, the women exclaiming how beautiful it was and the men rolled their eyes and laughed.

"Why doesn't it look new?" Bill asked.

"Hermione healed it in case a get hit by a bludger," he answered. Charlie nodded in understanding and Oliver sat down and a smirk pulled at his mouth.

Hermione then stood and they all looked at her confused before she waved her hand and removed the Glamours. And they all stared in shock, some of them choking. They could only see the birds on her collar bone at the angle she was stood.

"You got a tattoo?" George spluttered.

"No, well yes, but I've had this one since the night of the Final Battle."

"You have _two_?" Charlie's voice rose.

"No, I have _four_ ," she corrected, taking pleasure in their priceless expressions before she showed them all her tattoos, told them when she got them and what they symbolised and despite Mrs. Weasley not liking tattoos, she didn't scold Hermione as her tattoos were all meaningful.

"I never would've thought you'd have a tattoo, let alone four," Charlie shook his head, looking at her in awe before he leaned over the table and they shared a high-fived with everyone laughing at them."Are you getting any more?"

"I don't know, I think Oliver wants to though," she looked at him and he nodded. "Next time you can come with us if you want." Charlie nodded eagerly. "Liam was very nice, spent most of his time laughing at us," Hermione chuckled. She looked up from her plate to see Charlie feeding Ali and she was pecking his finger affectionately. "Stop trying to steal my owl," she scowled.

After dinner, they all congregated in the living room and after they all broke off into their own conversations, Hermione caught sight of the golden band around her wrist, being reminded of it.

"Does anyone know what this is?" She asked the room, holding her wrist up and spying the parents sharing a knowing glance.

"Ye know something," Oliver stated, also catching their look and everyone turned their eyes to them expectantly.

"Naw, af course not, Dear," said his mother.

"Yer lying," Oliver accused.

"A have naw idea what yer talking aboot," she denied.

"Okay, you either tell us what's going on or I'll slip you Veritaserum," Hermione threatened.

"Tha's illegal," Mr. Wood pointed out.

"Your point being?" She arched an uncaring eyebrow and Oliver smirked proudly. "You either tell me or I'm going to raid every book in the Hogwarts Library and I'll tell Professor McGonagall that you're the reason I'm there, terrorising Madam Pince."

Understanding that she wasn't bluffing, they each shared a glance before nodding.

"Very well, there isnae much known aboot the band around yer wrists an' ye can only find reference tae it in very few books seeing as it isnaet a common occurrence," said Mr. Wood.

"What we do know is tha' it's a symbol af the bond the twa af ye share. It explains why yer feelings for each other grew so quickly, why yee comfortable around each other an' why ye dinnae feel obligated tae petition fer a new match like everyone else affected by the law is trying tae do," continued Mrs. Wood. "The bond tha' ye share is rare an' pure. A'm sure ye remember us telling ye stories as a child af witches an' wizards who were fated?"

Oliver slowly nodded, as did the other Purebloods present, making Hermione the only confused one in the room.

"It is said that once every two hundred years, a witch and wizard will be born who were made for one another. They will fit perfectly, be the other's missing half, they will balance each other out beautifully," Mrs. Weasley explained. "And once they are bound by marriage, a golden band will mark the skin of the couple to show the love they have for one another, as well as to ward off attention from members of the opposite gender."

"There isn't a name for the bond, it's simply referred to as 'the Golden Bond' and as we said earlier, little is known about it. You will be each other's happiness, you will love each other unconditionally and even if you have arguments and disagreements, you will always find your way back to each other. You are, essentially, each other's forever," finished Mr. Weasley with a smile.

Hermione blinked slowly, trying to process what they'd just revealed.

"You're saying that Oliver and I were fated to happen?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Aye, an' now tha' the bond has shown itself in the twa af ye, it won't be seen fer another twa hundred years. At least in Britain," Mr. Wood answered.

They all sat in silence digesting the news and Oliver was absentmindedly holding Hermione's hand and running his thumb over her knuckles soothingly.

"What would've happened if they hadn't of found each other?" George asked curiously and they pulled away from their thoughts to look at him. "Think about it, they likely wouldn't have met if it wasn't for this law. They went to the same school but he was four years above her. There was no reason for their lives to cross paths except maybe in the corridors. So what would've happened if the law hadn't been implemented?"

"They would've likely gone down different paths, likely never met, and likely never married. They would've married other people, but they wouldn't be happy. They may feel content but they would've never truly been happy. A part of them would be missing. The only way for them to achieve true happiness is for them to be together. When you died, your souls would've found each other's in the afterlife and you would finally be together, but your life won't have been complete, it won't have felt right," explained Mrs. Weasley.

"So the law's a good thing for us," Hermione muttered. "We were always going to be matched. It allowed us to find each other in life rather than death. It's allowed us to be happy. That's why we didn't have a problem with each other when we were matched, why we fell in love in only three weeks."

"Precisely," Mrs. Wood smiled. "When ye met fer the first time, a part af ye would've realised who the other was. Ye may not have noticed it, but it happened. The more time ye spent with each other, the happier ye would be. But a believe the final straw was when ye healed Oliver. When Oliver woke, ye said tha' ye could feel her magic, correct?" Oliver nodded. "An' ye said tha it's never happened befere, correct?" Hermione nodded. "Tha' was when yer magic truly knew who each other were. Yer magic combined an' bonded the twa af ye tagether, an' the wedding sealed it fer life."

"Oliver, when did you realise you loved Hermione?" Mr. Weasley curiously.

"A guess the night befere the _Prophet_ revealed our engagement. We'd been decorating all day, we came here fer dinner an' then we went tae the lake at the manor. We were laughing 'coz Quaffle dinnae like Hermione giving mae all her attention... But a think a loved her the moment a saw her walk intae the room an' fall over whilst she was hopping around tryna put her shoe on, something in mae shifted after tha'." His brow furrowed thoughtfully and they laughed at him.

"We remember that," Fred said as he and George laughed loudly. "It was brilliant."

"Hermione?" Prompted Mr. Weasley.

"The day of the first match; Oliver was hurt and he was being led away to the medic's tent and he wasn't moving. The breath was knocked out of me and I remember that I couldn't breathe, that my head and chest hurt. I kept seeing him in my head on the stretcher and not moving. I realised that I loved him and that if he was hurt beyond healing, I wouldn't know how to live without him in my life. But now that I think about it, I think I've loved him since I saw him sitting at the kitchen table laughing at me because I fell over. Something inside me shifted, too."

"Ye were meant tae be. A suspect it's why ye work tagether as well as live together, ye prefer tae be around each other," Mr. Wood said and they nodded in agreement.

"Is this why I haven't had a nightmare since the wedding?" Hermione asked.

"Possibly," Mr. Weasley said. "Oliver's presence will calm you and now that the bond is complete and your magic has entwined, it's helping you to heal the mental scars of the war. It's preventing the nightmares"

"Hoo will this affect us?" Oliver asked.

"As far as we're aware, it shouldn't. You'll have normal lives and you'll only love each other. You'll never have the desire to commit adultery and you'll never see anyone the same way you see each other. Apart from that, you're a regular couple, except you are each other's absolute perfect match."

"Well, this will be one to tell the kids," Charlie commented and they laughed, officially breaking the tension. Hermione then noticed that Ali was sat on Charlie's shoulder, rubbing her beak against his hair.

"Will you stop trying to turn my Ali against me?" She grumbled, folding her arms over her chest in a huff.

"I can't help it if the beautiful ladies find me irresistible," he replied smugly, flipping his hair over his shoulder dramatically.

It caused the twins to fall into a fit of hysterics, actually falling off the couch and landing on the floor with thuds.

"You're about as irresistible as one of Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts," George said through laughter.

"Or Filch!" Fred called through his laugh. Charlie scowled at them as everyone roared in laughter.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 20

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Monday 3rd August 1998**

Monday morning came and Oliver walked with a skip in his step, looking ridiculously pleased with himself. He'd had a great morning. He'd woken to his beautiful and naked wife draped over his chest in her sleep and he'd convinced her to allow him to ravish her silly before breakfast.

As he walked down the stands of the Coach's box, his ears filled with the sounds of the team whistling, cheering and applauding.

"Here he comes! The newest member of the 'Death of the Bachelorhood Club!" Called Pallie and Oliver rolled his eyes at his dramatics as everyone clapped him on his back or shoulder. He was glad Hermione had healed his tattoo for him, otherwise, it would've hurt.

"Did you have a good weekend, Wood?" Coach Burton asked.

"Aye, a did," Oliver replied, trying to stop his mouth from twitching into a smile; that was putting it mildly. It'd been the best weekend of his life but he knew better than to tell them that.

"So, how was it?" Malloy asked wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Oliver sent him an annoyed glance but chose to ignore his words, and said, "Look, a need tae talk tae aboot somethin' befere Hermione gets here."

"Where is she?" Asked Kings, peering over his shoulder and looking towards the stands expectantly.

"She's still at the apartment scolding Quaffle fer eating her childhood teddy bear. Well, a mean she's scolding him an' he's sat there with his tail wagging an' tongue lolling oot af the side af his mouth, not givin' a damn," he corrected and they snorted. "But anyway, Hermione's got some scars tha' she's been covering with clothing and Glamours, a've convinced her tae stop doin' it, so when she gets here don' stare at her. Don' make her feel bad aboot herself 'coz ye have naw idea hoo long it took mae tae get her tae show mae one scar, let alone all of them," he warned.

"They can't be that bad," Wilks frowned. "You've seen the scars we get from Quidditch."

"Her scars are from war" Oliver muttered, pushing a hand through his hair. Hearing Quaffle's barks, he twisted to look over his shoulder, seeing Hermione approaching and he frowned when he saw her wearing a cover-up. "Ye promised," he said.

"I haven't Glamoured them," she argued, "But I don't I'm ready to let people see them yet."

"A've seen them an' so have our family. Ye went intae Muggle London yesterday withoot Glamouring them," he replied.

"That's different. You and my family won't judge me and no one was paying attention to us in Muggle London."

"Rules six, forty-nine an' fifty-four," he reminded.

Hermione scowled. "You're using my own rules against me. I never should've told you what they are," she grouched.

"What rules?" Thompson arched an eyebrow.

"Hermione's rules tae havin' a happy life an' surviving living with her," Oliver explained.

"And are we expected to learn these rules?" Bishop asked amusedly.

"I suppose so," Hermione shrugged, "It'll make your lives easier."

"And the rules Wood mentioned?" Fox prompted with interest.

"Rule six, you shouldn't care what others think of you. Rule forty-nine, be who you are and don't hide your true self. And rule fifty-four, don't let others dictate your life. You make your own choices."

"Well, it seems you're contradicting yourself by covering your scars," Pallie's mouth twitched into a smirk, Hermione scowled at him in annoyance and Oliver sent him a thankful look.

That day she'd chosen to wear a spaghetti strap summer dress with a v-neck and it fell to her mid-thigh. It started off white and faded into peach, she wore her hair in a messy bun with a pair of white ballet pumps and a white cover-up. Sighing in defeat, she reluctantly removed the cover-up, their eyes widening in surprise but not at her scars, rather the tattoo on her collar bone.

"Is that a _tattoo_?" Malloy choked out as he stared at it.

"Yes, I have four."

"Four!?" They spluttered.

"Yes, four," she confirmed. Gesturing to her shoulder and ankle, their eyes following as she twisted to show them off.

"You said you have four," Kings mentioned, having only seen three.

"I do, but the other one is in a place that only Oliver will see," she replied. Oliver smirked.

"Lucky bastard," muttered Malloy.

"Oliver's got one as well," Hermione added, taking the attention away from herself.

"You do?" Thompson arched an eyebrow.

"Aye, we went intae Muggle London yesterday. Our tattoo artist turned oot tae be a wizard an' we've invited him ta the game on Wednesday an' the after-party. Hermione's comin' with us, she reckons she can drink us under the table."

The team arched identical eyebrows, something that was a little frightening.

"Muggle alcohol's twice as strong as wizarding alcohol, you don't stand a chance against me," she shrugged.

"We'll have to wait and see then, I look forward to seeing you try and out-drink us," Briggs challenged.

"You have to win first," Hermione pointed out.

"So, _Mrs. Wood_ ," Malloy emphasised the name, a smirk pulling at his mouth. Oliver was immediately put on edge, hearing the teasing tone in his voice.

"Yes?"

"How was Mr. Wood? We've heard rumours and we're curious. Is he better than your previous boyfriends?" He asked, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Oliver felt Hermione shift uncomfortably beside him.

"I wouldn't know," she admitted with a blush to her cheeks.

She had to give herself some credit, since their wedding night Hermione was getting more comfortable talking about sex and she got less embarrassed. Before, her entire face would've flamed red and now only her cheeks had filled with colour. It wouldn't be long before she would feel completely comfortable with the subject and she gave the team a taste of their own medicine.

"I don't get it," Wilks said, his head tipping in confusion, his expression being mirrored by the rest of the team.

"I wouldn't know, I have nothing to compare him to."

They looked at her strangely until a look of understanding crossed their faces and then they looked at her in disbelief.

"Wait, you were a... When you...With him..." Malloy said speechless, his mouth parted and his eyes widened. Hermione nodded, the blush on her cheeks darkening. "But you dated Viktor Krum!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, when I was _fifteen_. There was a reason we broke up. I wouldn't give in to him pressuring me and I couldn't give him the attention he wanted because I was too busy focusing on keeping Harry alive. After him, there was a muggle boy, but it didn't last long and then there was the war, I never had time for a relationship"

"But you were on the run for a year with _two_ boys," Kings said disbelievingly.

"Okay, that's disgusting," she shuddered, her face scrunching up in disgust and Oliver chuckled. "Harry and Ron were like my brothers."

"But..."

"No, now if we're done discussing my marriage and sex life, you have training to be getting on with and I have an office to check out."

Not waiting for a response, she turned and ascended the stands before she halted mid-step, twisting to look behind her. "Oh, by the way, Malloy, I _do_ have amazing stamina."

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open and her laughter echoed as she continued her climb.

"You told her!?" He spluttered accusingly.

"No, he didn't!" Hermione called from halfway up the stands and everyone's eyes widened.

"How did she hear that?"

"I have enhanced hearing from a bad experience with a werewolf!" She shouted with Oliver and Coach Burton laughing at their horrified expressions as she stepped into the building.

"You mean she _heard_ me?" Malloy asked Oliver, looking both mortified and horrified.

"Aye, she did," he said amusedly before he mounted his broom and flew onto the pitch, taking his position by the hoops.

"You're seriously telling me that she was a _virgin_?" Malloy said shocked, following after him with the rest of the team in two.

"Told ye she wasn't like Melanie," he shrugged.

"But how's that even possible? With the way she looks? She can't have been short of gust tryna get with her." He said in disbelief. "Are you sure she wasn't lying?"

Oliver pinned him with a glare. "Aye, am sure. Tha's not somethin' tha' can be faked. Ye wanna see the damn bedsheets?" Oliver snapped. Malloy paled a little.

"What's this tattoo she mentioned?" Pallie butted in, defusing the tension.

"None af yer business," Oliver replied.

"We'll see it in the locker room," he pointed out, amused.

Oliver shrugged, not caring and when he shifted his weight on his broom, Thompson caught sight of something on his neck.

"Wood? Is that a _bite_ mark?" He asked.

"What?"

"Is that a bite mark?" He repeated looking both surprised and amused.

"Aye," he replied, knowing they wouldn't leave him alone unless he answered.

"Hermione _bit_ you?" Malloy said stunned.

Oliver shrugged. "Aye, a guess am jus' tha' good," he said with a smirk and they scoffed and rolled their eyes at him. "It wasn't her fault," he defended, "As she said, she had a bad experience with a werewolf an' she's taken on some af their qualities. She isnae a werewolf, she jus' has enhanced senses an' she sometimes feels the urge tae mark me." They blinked slowly and he snorted at them. "A should warn ye, Hermione told mae the full moon affects her mood an' she'll be snappy an' territorial over mae. The next full moon's this Saturday so be careful an' make sure ye keep the bitches away from her. A havnae been with her fer a full moon yet so a don' know hoo she'll react."

~000~000~000~

Hermione stood in her office, taking it all in. It was on the same corridor as the locker rooms and Coach Burton's office, just further down, making it so she was close by if she was needed. Her office door was white and it had a gold plaque that read 'Hermione Wood, Junior Coach', a smile having pulled at her mouth at the first glimpse of her name change.

Her office held a colour scheme of cream and beige, the three walls in the room being beige with cream accents whilst the floor to ceiling windows replaced the wall behind her desk, allowing for plenty of natural light. The soft carpet beneath her feet was also beige, her large desk was made of dark wood and a comfy cream-coloured chair tucked under the desk with two matching chairs sitting on the other side of the desk. On the back wall, she had a comfortable cream leather couch with a dark glass coffee table and an identical couch on the other side of it, and dark coloured cushions sat on the couch as well as on the desk chairs for comfort.

On the right wall, sat a comfortable cream lounge chair, she'd removed some framed photos from her bag that she'd brought with her and she placed them around the office on the walls, giving it a personal touch. On the left wall sat a bookcase that was filled to the brim with books, files and folders, all in organised in alphabetical order and a plush cream rug sat on the floor in front of it. On either side of the bookcase, there was a door. One door led to a storage cupboard Hermione had fitted with an Undetectable Extension Charm before she'd resized the equipment for her obstacle courses and neatly place them inside the cupboard. The other door led to a bathroom, it being decorated in the same colours as the office and it held a shower, sink, toilet, some shelves for wash products and a large mirror.

As lunch approached, Hermione left her office and made her way the Coach's box, unfortunately, crossing paths with the gathered wives and girlfriends of the team.

_Fabulous._

"I see you've finally decided to stop denying the fact that you're ugly and to show the world what you really look like," Megan remarked and the other witches laughed cruelly. "Nice scars," she said snidely.

Hermione resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh. She'd never met a group of people so annoying in all her life, and that included the majority of the Slytherins from Hogwarts. At least their insults had been original and based on her swottish tendencies and blood status, not her appearance.

"I see you have a tramp stamp, how fitting."

 _Looks as though they have a new leader,_ Hermione thought with a roll of her eyes.

"Before you insult me, I suggest you fact check beforehand. I don't have a tramp stamp, that is reserved for tattoos on the small of the back, you idiot," Hermione rolled her eyes. "But whilst you're here, I'll inform you of the rule changes. As of today, all members of the public are required to wear clothing that covers their femurs, and I can see that confused look on your face, so basically that means from your hips to your knees, and they must be covered at all times, as well as cleavage and stomachs. This is a place of work, not a fashion show. There is a level of professionalism that must be kept."

They looked confused, horrified, angry and surprised, all at once.

"Your clothing doesn't fit into that category," Megan sneered.

Hermione smiled sweetly. "That is correct, but I am not a member of the public; I am a member of staff. I will give you a pass for today but tomorrow I expect to see some changes, otherwise, there _will_ be consequences. Do not test me."

Pinning them with a look of warning, she turned and continued with her journey to the Coach's box to give the team their lunch, but when she reached the door, a hex whizzed past her ear. She froze in her steps, her body tensing before she turned to see Megan with her wand aimed at her, a glare set on her face and the other women stood slightly behind, watching the two of them carefully, warily.

"Are you certain you wish to do this?" Hermione checked, her expression calm. Megan hissed another hex, it whizzing past Hermione once more. The aim was so far off Hermione didn't bother moving to dodge it, she didn't have to. "Very well."

Hermione and Megan circled each other until Megan stood before the open door that led to the Coach's box and Hermione stood opposite. her

" _Ducklifors_ ," Megan cast. Hermione stepped out of the way. " _Confudo_!"

She stepped to the side and as Megan continued to throw hexes and spells at her, her anger growing with each target missed, Hermione was growing incredibly bored. She had better things to be doing than wasting her time.

" _Flipendo_ ," Hermione cast confidently, her eyes narrowed dangerously and a scream of terror left her lips as she was propelled back and out of the door. and forcefully and her eyes narrowed on Megan. Megan screamed as she was pushed back through the open door.

~000~000~000~

As Coach Burton called lunch, Oliver flew down to the Coach's box and dismounted his broom, setting it off to the side and propping it against the railing, his teammates mimicking his actions, their attention being pulled by Quaffle when he began barking.

"What's the matter with him?" Bishop asked.

Oliver's brow furrowed as he looked to the animal in confusion before dread and alarm began to fill him; the only time Quaffle had barked like that was when Hermione had been attacked in Diagon Alley, but before Oliver could process it or attempt to move and go in search of her, an ear-piercing scream tore through the air. They all lifted their eyes, seeing someone being propelled through the air they screamed hysterically.

Hermione stepped out onto the stands and Oliver breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't appear injured. Even from the distance between them, they were able to see Hermione raising her arm and the moment she did, Megan suddenly halted mid-fall, being held in place and bobbing about in the air.

With her arm held out and locked in place, she slowly descended the stands, making her way towards the team who watched her with wide, surprised eyes and their mouths hung open, her own gaze locked on the shrieking witch. When she was close enough, Oliver reached out, slotted his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side, his own eyes darting between her and Megan.

Muttering beneath her breath and lowering her arm, Megan was lowered to the ground, following the speed of Hermione's lowering arm until it was by her side and Megan's feet touched the floor, the witch stumbling in her ridiculously tall heels, her body shaking and her eyes wide and fearful. She looked at Bishop expectantly but he was too busy staring at Hermione to notice.

"Don't look at Bishop like that," Hermione warned, Megan's attention snapping to her. "He has nothing to do with this; you're the one that tried to hex me when my back was turned," she said calmly and Oliver's hold on her tightened, his eyes narrowing distrustfully."And don't look at me like that either. I warned you not to raise your wand to me. I'm a war veteran, my scars may not be pretty but they show that I survived. You raising your wand to me was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. I fought in war, I've battle experience, you don't. If you think that a weak and poorly cast Stinging Hex and some bitchiness is going to scare me, you are severely mistaken."

Oliver was in awe of his wife and he was seriously turned on; he was glad she was partially stood in front of him, otherwise, everyone would be able to see his predicament.

"I've had enough of the way you treat people; you're not superior to anyone, especially _here,_ you have no power or authority. You're a member of the public and you have no say or sway in how this team is run. I will give you one more chance. If you don't follow the rules that have been implemented you will be prohibited from entering these grounds and from attending _all_ home matches."

Megan nodded meekly and then with one last look to Hermione and the team, she made her way quickly up the stands and into the building, disappearing from view.

"That was brilliant!" Thompson laughed.

Hermione lifted her gaze to see Coach Burton's proud expression and when she looked to Oliver, he was watching her with lust-filled eyes and she could feel the bulge in his practice robes pressed against her back and she blushed a little.

"What rules did you implement?" Coach Burton asked curiously.

"That they have to wear clothing that covers their cleavage, stomachs and down to the knees. I always feel a little sick when I see everything hanging out," she scrunched up her face in disgust and the team laughed disbelieving. "You'll probably be dealing with pissed off partners from now on, but send them my way and I'll sort them out."

"I'll say, that was amazing," Pallie shook his head. "Where's your wand?" He asked, seeing she didn't have it in her hand.

"In my office," she replied, missing their looks of surprise as she dug their lunch from her beaded bag, handing the brown paper bag to Pallie.

"We need tae talk," Oliver said as calmly as he could, trying to keep his face passive.

Hermione nodded and then she and Oliver turned to walk up the stands, Hermione feeling Oliver's heated gaze on her as she made her way to her office. Before Hermione had even closed the door behind them, Oliver had her pinned against the wall and had latched his mouth against hers.

"Tha' was the sexiest thing a've ev'r seen," he mumbled against her lips and in-between kisses.

His hands settled on her hips and he hiked up as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed her into the wall, kissing her neck and paying special attention to her tattoo on her collar bone.

"We're at work," she muttered, being out of breath from the kiss.

"Ye bein' me boss has its advantages," he mumbled against her skin and she gasped when his tongue traced her tattoo.

"Someone could walk in," she argued.

He pulled away from her, drew his wand from inside his robes and silenced the room and locked the door before dropping his wand to the floor and returning his lips to her neck. He had her pressed into the wall and was grinding himself against her and she could feel herself giving in. Before she knew it, she reached down between them and fiddled with the ties on his bottoms.

She was getting frustrated, so she pushed him away from her and he looked at her disappointed but she whispered a spell and his bottoms untied and then fell down to his ankles along with his boxers, with a second whispered incantation, her underwear disappeared. Oliver groaned in appreciation as he lifted her dress out of the way, dipped his hand in-between them to make sure she was ready for him and he groaned loudly when he found she was more than ready.

He positioned himself and then with one thrust he entered her and they both moaned with Hermione clenching around him. He set a steady pace before it became too much and he increased his thrusts, Hermione clinging to him and tugging at his hair and they watched each other, Oliver shifted slightly and it resulted in him catching the little bundle of nerves and Hermione gave a breathless moan and flung her head back against the wall. She clamped down on him and cried his name before she leaned forward and sucked at his bite mark. Oliver's relief was torn from him as he pressed her into the wall harder, keeping them both upright until they got their breathing back under control and strength returned to his limbs.

"They're going to know what we've been up to," Hermione sighed, running her hands through his hair and massaging at his scalp.

"Maybe, but they won't say anythin' 'coz they're scared af ye, even more so after what they jus' witnessed." Hermione laughed at him. "Seriously, it was brilliant, an' ye stood up fer yerself aboot yer scars, yer've accepted they're a part af ye," he smiled, pressing a kiss to her mouth before he set her back on her feet.

He steadied her when she wobbled before he righted his clothing and tied his bottoms and Hermione found her underwear on the floor and slipped them back on. After muttering a Cleaning Charm to freshen them up and make them more presentable, she reached up to try and sort Oliver's messy hair to make it less obvious as to what they'd been doing.

"Let's go and face the music," she said, Oliver collecting his wand from the floor and after unlocking the door, they left her office hand in hand.

~000~000~000~

**Ireland - Wednesday 5th August 1998**

Hermione and Oliver were in their hotel room after winning the match against the Ballycastle Bats. It was a nice spacious room with pale yellow walls and a white carpet. The large king-sized bed sat in the centre of the room against the wall with white bedding and yellow cushions. There were two white chests of drawers against the back wall and a desk and table against the left wall by the window. A door led to the bathroom on the back wall and a balcony door sat on the left wall, there were two soft yellow couches in the centre of the room with a coffee table and a white lounge chair near the balcony doors. The bathroom was decorated in the same pale yellow and white with a large sunken bathtub, a shower enclosure, his and her sinks, a toilet, a mirror and a bathroom cabinet.

Hermione had no idea what to wear for the after-party and brought with her a number of outfits and shoes, and she was currently searching through her bags when she spotted Oliver sitting on the bed and rolling his shoulders.

Pausing a moment, she turned her attention to searching for her cream before she fished it out and crossed over to him, instructing Oliver to take off his shirt and lie down on his stomach. He looked at her with a smirk but did as she asked before she climbed onto the bed and moved to straddle Oliver's back. After she rubbed the cream into her hands, she leaned over and pressed her hands against him, kneading his sore muscles and he sighed happily.

"Best Quidditch wife ev'r," he mumbled, his face buried in the cushion he'd folded his arms around and Hermione chuckled.

"I'm glad you let me heal your injuries."

"It was one bruise an' a stayed on me broom."

"Still, I don't like seeing you hurt and when I can do something to ease your pain, I will," she said softly.

"A really am lucky tae have a natural healer as a wife, especially given me career."

They chatted for a little while until Hermione put the lid back on the cream.

"What am I supposed to wear tonight?" She asked and Oliver shrugged. "Come on, you have to help me. Do I wear a summer dress and flats, a pair of jeans and a jumper or a cocktail dress and heels?"

"Whatever ye want, Sparrow, whatever ye feel comfortable in."

She huffed. "Oh, you're no help at all," she grumbled, climbing off and he chuckled at her before standing and heading for a quick shower as she glowered at her bag and its contents.

~000~000~000~

They were preparing to leave since Liam and the team would be waiting for them in the hotel foyer. Oliver was wearing a light blue form-fitting button-down shirt, blue jeans, white trainers and a black jacket.

"Hermione, we're gonna be late," Oliver called from his place perched on the edge of the bed.

"Alright, I'm coming, keep your hair on!" She called back.

Oliver rolled his eyes. She'd said that half an hour ago, too, and when she _finally_ stepped out of the bathroom, his mouth pulled into a smile.

She'd finally decided on what to wear after realising that they were likely going to be spotted by photographers and she wanted to look like she belonged with the team. As such, she'd settled on a blush pink chiffon cocktail dress with a scooped neckline and natural waist and it reached her mid-thigh. It had bold straps that reached around to the back and tied off with a bow, the bodice had glitter embellishments that sparkled in the light beautifully and the layered skirt flared out. She left her hair down in shiny, soft ringlets but pinned it back from her face with some glittery hairpins. She had on a pair of glitter strappy heels -with all the appropriate Balancing and Cushioning Charms- that made her legs look longer and she wore her cuff bracelet, her necklace and a pair of diamond-studded earrings. Her ankle and shoulder tattoos were on full display and as usual, she was makeup-free, not trusting herself.

"Ye look stunning," Oliver complimented, standing and crossing over to her, pressing a quick kiss to her mouth.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him. "It's not too much, is it?"

"Ye look perfect," he promised. "Are ye ready?"

"I'm ready," she nodded, Oliver taking her hand and leading her out of the room and down to the hotel foyer, where everyone was already there and waiting for them.

The team whistled and applauded when they saw Hermione as she approached and she blushed.

"Looking good, Junior Coach," Malloy winked and when Hermione was close enough, she punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" He whined, looking to her in surprise as the others sniggered. "That hurt, you've got an arm on you," he muttered.

"What did I say about calling me that?"

"Not to do it," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze and they all sniggered.

"That's right, don't do it again," she scolded. "Liam, it's good to see you again." Hermione greeted the tattoo artist. "Have they been nice to you?" She asked eyeing the team suspiciously and they smiled angelically. She snorted.

"Yeah, been sharing some stories," he said amusedly.

"I bet they have. Did you bring the muggle alcohol?"

"Got it right here in my pocket," he tapped his left jacket pocket.

"You ready to show them how it's done?"

"More than ready," he grinned.

They made their way out of the hotel and walked off the grounds and it didn't take them long to reach the first wizarding club and when the bouncer recognised them, she wasn't surprised they were allowed straight entry. They found a group of tables and some of the boys headed off to the bar, returning with a round of fire whiskey.

The team watched Hermione carefully and she rolled her eyes, picked up her tumbler and downed the fiery liquid, setting the tumble on the table as she felt the liquid burn her throat, but she didn't cough or splutter.

"What?" She arched an eyebrow, noticing their surprised but impressed expressions.

"Nothing," Oliver smiled, tucking her into his side and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

More drinks were bought and they stayed for an hour before moving onto the next club where they were treated the same, immediately being let in and they grabbed tables and bought drinks and they, of course, attracted the attention of most of the ladies and a few of the men, too.

Ten minutes later, Malloy and Hermione were staring each other down whilst the others watched them in amusement.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hermione asked.

"Obviously," Malloy replied, rolling his eyes.

A smirk played at Hermione's lips. "I don't know, I don't want to embarrass you," she said lightly and they all laughed at her as Malloy arched an eyebrow.

They each had ten shot glasses sat before them whilst the team surrounded them, and some of the patrons gathered around their tables. Silently, Hermione picked up the bottle of vodka and removed the lid before filling up the shot glasses and Malloy did the same with a second bottle of vodka.

"I'm warning you, Mate, that stuff can make you pretty ill, especially if you drink it straight and don't mix it with anything," warned Liam, but Malloy simply waved off his concerns and the tattoo artist chuckled and held his hands up in defeat, sitting back into his seat and waiting.

"Go!" Those around them chanted.

Hermione reached out and selected two shots, downing them one after the after before sitting the glass on the table upside down to show they were empty.

"Strong start for Hermione," Thompson said, commentating on the challenge.

Malloy shrugged casually, not appearing to be impressed as he selected two shot glasses and downed them both, coughing in surprise as Hermione and Liam shared a smirk.

"Fuck, that stuff's strong," he spluttered.

"And a wobbly start for Malloy," said Thompson. "Hermione's up next and she downs another two without pause."

Malloy narrowed his eyes before selecting another two shots and downing them, coughing once more.

"It's even worse the second time!" He spluttered and laughter surrounded them.

"Hermione takes the lead and is holding strong as she downs another two shots, bringing her total up to a strong six!"

Malloy picked up two and threw them back, holding better than the last time.

"And it's a tie with six...And Hermione drinks another two, putting her in the lead, eight to six!"

Malloy picked up two shots but was only able to drink one. The team and the crowd cheering him on loudly, encouraging to drink the other.

"Sorry, but I can't do it. That stuff's got a fucking kick to it," he slurred a little, applause and cheers ringing out as Hermione gave him a victorious look, arrogantly flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Anyone else want to try?" She asked, her eyes searching for challengers and Kings stepped up.

Once more, Thompson commentated enthusiastically, the crowd and team encouraged Kings and cheered him on but Hermione beat him with six shots to his five.

After that everyone but Kings and Malloy had two shots of vodka and it was worth it to see their priceless expressions. Hermione and Liam shared a high-five as the team let out a collective "Fuck!" And slammed their glasses against the table.

"You weren't kidding," Pallie shook his head. "That stuff's bloody strong." He slapped himself on the chest and she laughed.

"Told you, muggle alcohol," she said smugly.

Oliver snorted before he stood and headed to the bar, it being his turn to buy the next round of drinks. As he was waiting for his order to be completed, he was approached by two witches, both having blonde hair, one with blue eyes and the other green and they were both wearing dresses that barely covered their arses.

"Hey, handsome, congratulations on your win today," the green-eyed witch purred, fluttering her eyelashes.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "It was a team effort," he replied calmly, hoping they'd leave him be. They didn't.

"Well, I think a win like that deserves a reward, don't you, Cassie?"

"I do, Millie," the blue-eyed witch replied and as one, they both moved closer to him and because he was stood at the bar, he couldn't take a step back.

"A'll pass, a have a wife."

"Hermione Granger, right?" The witch identified as Cassie said.

"Hermione _Wood_ ," Oliver corrected, his tone growing cold and annoyed.

"We've read about her, surely she can't give you what you _need_ or what we're offering you," Millie purred, lifting her hand and she ran her fingers up his arm, in a move he assumed was supposed to be seductive but he thought it was repulsive.

He narrowed his eyes a little tighter and shrugged her hand off his arm.

"We can give you things she can't," Cassie promised, her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

"Anythin' ye can give mae, me wife can give mae twice as good. She keeps mae happy all on her own. What does tha' say aboot ye, if it takes twa af ye tae please one man?" He said evenly. "A love me wife an' a'll never betray her. Ye should find someone else tae throw yerselves at, may as well use the rest af what little dignity ye have left."

Looking way from their outraged expressions, he smiled his thanks to the barman before levitating the tray of drinks back to the table, seeing Hermione teasing Wilks as his teammates howled and cried with laughter.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked quietly as everyone grabbed their drinks and he took a seat beside her.

"Aye, never better," he smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to her mouth. The team "awed" and made kissing sounds and Hermione and Oliver rolled her eyes. "Ye wanna get oot af here?" Oliver said into Hermione's ear. She lifted her eyes, searching his expression carefully before she nodded, accepting his hand as he helped her to her feet.

"Oi, where are you two going?" Bishop asked.

"Back to the hotel, it's almost one in the morning and the port-key leaves at eleven o'clock," Hermione answered.

"You just wanna shag your wife," Malloy snorted and Hermione blushed.

"Tha' tae," Oliver replied shamelessly, grinning at Hermione unapologetically when she thumped him in the arm.

"I want you all back by three, at the latest," Hermione told them and they nodded. "Good, watch out for each other," she instructed before she and Oliver took their leave.

"Don't forget Silencing Charms!" The team chorused, laughing uproariously when Oliver turned around and give them the middle finger.

~000~000~000~

Oliver observed Hermione carefully as they entered their hotel room; she didn't seem drunk, maybe a little tipsy, but not drunk. He didn't understand it; she'd consumed more alcohol than him. Hell, she'd drunk more than half the team combined and she was perfectly fine.

"Sparrow?" He asked as he closed the door and she kicked off her heels, sighing in relief before she sat on the bed and started rubbing her aching feet.

"Hmm?"

Oliver crossed over to her, took a seat beside her and pulled her feet into his lap, Hermione sighing happily when he started rubbing her right foot.

"Best husband ever," she mumbled and he chuckled.

"Hoo aren't ye drunk? Ye had more than mae an' half the team combined an' ye weren't kidding aboot tha' muggle stuff being stronger. A watched ye down almost twenty shots af it. It was downright impressive an' sexy as hell, but ye should be slurring an' stumbling an' require the need af a Hangover Potion."

She laughed at him. "Okay, I'll tell you but you can't tell the team, they'll be pissed." He nodded in agreement. "I took a Sobriety Potion before we left, to fight off the effects of the alcohol for a short while and my metabolism's a lot faster than the average person's. It's why I struggled to put on weight. My body burns off the alcohol and food a lot faster than yours. But I am also not currently drunk because I only drank fire whiskey, and when no one was looking, I changed the first four shots I did with Malloy and Bishop into water, so I haven't had more than eight actual shots of vodka."

Oliver blinked slowly before laughing and shaking his head.

"Tha's brilliant," he complimented.

"I told you I could drink you all under the table, but I didn't say I wouldn't do it without cheating," she shrugged and he snorted. "I could actually do it if I weren't wearing heels, I didn't want to risk getting drunk and falling over."

"Ye, me beautiful little witch, are amazing," he smiled.

When he saw her mischievous smile and eyes, his own darkened in response and seeing this, Hermione shuffled back on the bed and he followed before pouncing on her, drawing laughter from her.

~000~000~000~

**Ireland - Thursday 6th August 1998**

Oliver woke the next morning to a naked Hermione draped over him in her sleep.

 _'I love my life,_ he thought happily.

It didn't take long for her to rouse from sleep and after a thorough ravishing, they showered and readied for the day, later ensuring they'd packed everything away and hadn't left anything.

Once they were done, they left their room, walking along the corridor and banging on every door that housed a member of the team until they heard angry grumbles and curses before the doors were pulled open. Oliver and Hermione sniggered, in each doorway stood a hungover wizard, all of them glaring at them.

Hermione smiled sweetly. "You have two hours before the port-key is scheduled to leave," she informed them, their glares hardening before doors were slammed shut. Hermione and Oliver looked at each other and laughed.

"Are we waking Liam ?"

"No, he's got his own port-key that isn't due to leave until tomorrow. I'll leave a note at reception to give to him before we leave," she replied and he nodded before they returned to their room.

An hour later, Hermione and Oliver were laid on the stomachs side by side on their bed talking, when there was a bang on the door, and Hermione stood and crossed over to it, opening it to see the team were all stood on the other side and looking a lot better than they did earlier that morning. The waltzed into the room without invitation and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Hermione. Oh, hi there, boys. Thank you for waking us this morning so we didn't get stranded in Ireland. Oh, it's no problem boys, honestly," she chirped and they snorted at her.

Closing the door over, she crossed over to the bed and laid on her stomach beside Oliver once more, watching as the team all find seats on the couches, the lounge chair and Thompson hopped up on the bed and laid on his stomach beside Hermione, giving her a cheeky grin when she arched an eyebrow at him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked them.

"Better now that we've had a Hangover Potion," Wilks answered, "Still feel a bit rough though," he muttered and the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, training starts at two o'clock, don't think you're getting out of it."

They groaned in disappointment.

"How are you perfectly fine?" Malloy asked surprised. "You drank a lot last night, especially that muggle stuff and it was strong as hell."

She shrugged. "Guess I have a higher alcohol tolerance than you lot," she replied innocently and Oliver bit the side of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. "I told you that I can drink you under the table."

"We didn't think you were serious," Bishop shook his head.

"Yeah, nobody expected you to drink close to twenty shots of muggle alcohol and almost fifteen fire whiskeys like it was nobody's business," said Kings.

"I hope Megan doesn't go on a rampage when we get back, the potion hasn't taken full effect yet and I've got a headache," Bishop whined.

His complaint reminded Hermione of something she'd wanted to ask the team but she hadn't found the time or place to do it, or the courage if she was honest. It was quite personal what she wished to know.

Gathering her Gryffindor courage, she said, "Can I ask you something personal?" She looked at each member of the team and they each nodded slowly, hesitantly. "Why do you stay with them? Your wives and girlfriends? Well, I get the wives, but _why_ do you stay with those women?"

"To be honest, I don't know why I've stayed with Jenny this long," Thompson admitted and she turned to see his pensive expression. "We've been engaged for three years now. She didn't use to be so... High maintenance," he settled for. "She used to be a lot more laid back and less demanding. But ever since I put a ring on her finger, she's been mean and bitchy. I'm not sure which is the fake Jenny and which is the real Jenny," he shrugged.

Hermione knew but she didn't wish to say anything. To Hermione, it sounded like Thompson had been played by someone who wanted to be married to a Quidditch Star. She wanted fame, money and attention and marrying a Quidditch player would give that to her.

"So, why do you stay with her?" She pressed softly, nudging his shoulder with hers and the team remained silent, looking pensive themselves.

"Familiarity, I guess," he shrugged. "I know what to expect of her, but seeing you and Wood being paired and how happy you are together, it's made me think if maybe that's the best option for me. To break off the engagement with Jenny and be eligible for the law, you never know, I may be lucky and get paired with someone I can get along with."

Hermione smiled softly and she rested her head against his shoulder as she shared a glance with Oliver.

"It's the same for me." Hermione looked to Bishop. "I've been engaged for almost three years, but when I think about the wedding, I don't see myself as being happy. Not like you and Wood are. I feel dread and panic. Megan's always been high strung but even more so after I proposed. She loves the attention she gets from the press, even if it's only a mention in passing. I can't believe she tried to hex you when your back was turned," he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault," she assured him softly. "It was her choice to do that. I did warn her not to do it and I could've hurt her but I didn't."

"Since you popped up in our lives, I've been thinking about whether or not I should risk breaking off the engagement. I could get someone worse than Megan or..."

"You could get someone better," Hermione finished for him, nodding.

"Has Melanie really tried it on with all of you?" Malloy asked, showing vulnerability and it took Hermione by surprise. She'd never seen him look anything but happy, he was always teasing and laughing, or yelling if she hexed him.

The team nodded.

"Sorry, Mate," said Wilks. Malloy nodded sadly.

"Not your fault," he shrugged, his gaze locked on the ground. "I can't believe she wore that coconut oil after you told her not to. I hate that stuff, it's greasy," his nose scrunched up in disgust.

Oliver was floored. He couldn't believe they were talking to Hermione about their lives. He couldn't believe they were being so open with each other. They looked so dejected and vulnerable and it surprised him as he looked to Hermione in awe. He knew he had someone special and at such a young age, too. Oliver was twenty-two but Hermione was the youngest on the team being only eighteen, all the players were older than the both of them. The third youngest player was Thompson at twenty-five and the oldest player was Fox at thirty-five.

"Victoria's a right pain in the arse," Kings admitted. "All she does is complains about _everything_... She doesn't get enough recognition in the street, she has to cover herself at the stadium, she weighs too much, that dress is too ugly, that dress doesn't fit... And she _hates_ that you're my boss," he sighed in annoyance, rolling his eyes.

"Hannah tried to hex you, as well; I can't believe she'd even try that. Not only was it stupid, but she's useless when it comes to spells, unless it is for cosmetics," Wilks said and Hermione resisted the urge to chuckle.

"I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice proposing to Laura," Pallie confessed, clasping his hands together and staring down at them. "That's why you propose to someone right? Because you love them. Lately, I've been trying to figure out if I still love her, or if I ever did," he paused for a moment. "She loves spending the galleons I earn on ridiculous clothing and makeup. We live together _and_ she follows me to work, I don't really get any time alone or away from her."

Hermione would swear her heart broke into two as her eyes carefully examined the crestfallen and confused expressions of her team.

"I'm sorry," she began softly, "If any of you want me to ban them from the stadium, I would be more than happy to," Her words pulled a chuckle and a small smile from them. "You deserve better. I know how hard you work to improve, I know how much you love your job and the sport and you all deserve someone that understands that. Someone that won't take advantage of you. I know you, I know you like to tease and taunt until I want to break your nose..." Oliver snorted and she sent him a glare and he looked away quickly, amusing the team. "But I know that you are all kind, generous, respectful men and you deserve someone who can see that. What you need to do is go away and think about whether or not you want to risk the marriage law. As far as we're aware, you be exempt, but if you aren't and you do get a match, if you don't know who they are, I'll find out what I can for you. The same for you," she looked at the reserves. "I know you're married and if you want to, you can get a divorce, the only problem is, if you didn't have a prenup your wives can take half of what you own. But I can put you in touch with some good lawyers if needs be. Do you all live with your partners? Well, obviously the married men do, but do the rest of you?"

"I have my own apartment, and Laura comes over whenever she wants to. She won't leave so, yes, she practically lives with me," Pallie shrugged, unable to hide the annoyance in his tone.

"The same for the rest of you?" She questioned and they all nodded, being in similar situations. "Well, I know that Oliver and I like our privacy..." He gave her a strange look and she turned to him. "I'll make it worth your while," she whispered in promise. He groaned and dropped his head on the bed and she smirked before turning back to the others who'd arched their eyebrows at their hushed interaction. "As I was saying, I know that Oliver and I like our privacy, but, if you want to get away from your partners, you can come to our apartment whenever you need to. As long as you owl ahead or floo call to let us know first. Hell, there's four spare bedrooms so if you want to stay the night you can."

They all looked at her stunned and Oliver grumbled under his breath.

"You're being serious?" Kings said surprised. She nodded.

"Wood?" Thompson asked.

He sighed and lifted his head from the mattress. "Aye, ye can stay with us if ye need tae," he agreed and Hermione beamed at him. "Ye may as well work a bloody rota oot fer ye all tae make it fair, ye each spend one night uninterrupted at the apartment," he grumbled with the team chuckling when Hermione thumped him in the arm. "A'd advise against spending the night though, a've more injuries from Hermione than a do Quidditch."

She thumped him once more and the team sniggered.

"Anyway, you can stay with us whenever you want or need to. You know what, the next victory party, we'll have it at our apartment," she offered. Oliver looked to her questioning and she smiled at him before he grumbled in defeat. "You can have a tour of the apartment, they'll only be us there so we don't have to deal with the fans or press and we won't have to get anyone to look after Quaffle. You can wear pyjamas for all I care and you can all get drunk until you pass out on the floor. Yes, that's what we'll do," she nodded to herself.

"Told you we'd see your apartment, Wood," Thompson grinned, breaking the tension in the room and Oliver dropped his face into the bedding, grumbling under his breath as they laughed.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**Puddlemere United Stadium- Saturday 8th August 1998**

Oliver was exhausted.

The night would bring the full moon and Hermione had already started feeling the effects of its pull the night before. He'd been woken by the middle of the night by Hermione wanting to have sex, something he was more than happy to give her. Only, she'd done it twice more and he'd barely gotten any sleep. That morning she'd snapped at him when he wouldn't get out of bed because she'd worn him out and he didn't have the energy to move. Her hormones were all over the place and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. He was considering hiding out at Wood Manor until the effects of the full moon were well and truly over.

As he approached his gathered teammates, laughter erupted at the sight of him trudging towards them, dragging his broom behind him and struggling to keep his eyes open.

"What's the matter, Wood? That beautiful wife of yours keep you awake?" Malloy asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

Oliver glared but a yawn came forth, it having the opposite effect on the team and they smirked. "Aye, she did keep mae awake. Am exhausted." Malloy wiggled his eyebrows. "Aye, it was sex. She really _does_ have great stamina, a can barely keep up. Last night she woke mae _three_ times fer sex an' she pounced on mae _twice_ this morning. She snapped at mae when a dinnae get oot af bed fast enough."

The team laughed uproariously.

"You must be the only guy in the world to complain about his wife being so insatiable," Pallie rolled his eyes.

"It's not funny," Oliver protested, "It's the full moon tanight an' Hermione's hormones are all over the damn place. A dunno if she's gonna be able tae keep her hands tae herself taday or if she's gonna drag mae away an' lock mae in a room somewhere," he grumbled and it didn't do anything to calm down the team, who laughed harder with tears falling. "Ye better hope she doesn't run intae any af yer partners; she won't have control over her emotions like she usually does. An' a hope she doesn't want tae have sex again," he groaned. "Seriously, am so tired a'll probably fall aff me broom, Hermione'll heal mae an' then she'll want tae have sex. She's bitten mae _every_ time!" The team were still laughing at him with no signs of stopping. "Usually, she only bites mae when she sees someone coming ontae mae but she's bitten mae every time. Am grateful she can heal mae otherwise a'd have died af blood loss by now!" The team didn't look as though they were going to stop laughing any time soon. "It's not funny, am seriously thinking aboot hiding oot at me parents'," his voice rose.

"If you want me to step up for you, I'd be more than happy to," Malloy said through his laughter.

Oliver glared at him. "Not a chance in hell," he snapped before sighing. "Ye jus' better do ev'rything she says, she's had a hand on her wand all morning an' she'll likely hex ye," Oliver muttered, their laughter quickly sobering and being replaced by fear.

"Why's no one running drills?" Hermione snapped.

The team startled and yelped in shock as they turned around to see an irritated Hermione glaring at them, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping away on the ground. They laughed nervously before quickly mounting their brooms and flying onto the pitch. Oliver's mouth twitched in amusement and when he noticed Hermione eyeing him up, she mounted his own broom and followed his teammates' lead, escaping her clutches.

~000~000~000~

It was now lunchtime and the team cautiously flew down to the Coach's box, quietly observing Hermione as she rummaged around in her beaded bag, looking for their lunch.

"Hey, Junior Coa..." Kings was cut off when Thompson threw a hand over his mouth and glared at him before turning to look fearfully at Hermione.

"What did you say?" She all but growled.

"Nothing, Hermione," Thompson said with a nervous laugh. "Did your wonderful self make lunch for us again? We really appreciate everything you do for us, I hope you know that."

Hermione's posture relaxed and smiled at him, the team sighing in relief and mentally patting Thompson on the back for saving their lives.

"Yes, I did, and here it is," she pulled out the bag and handed it to him.

"Thank you," he smiled, taking it with his free hand as his other hand was still covering Kings' mouth.

She nodded before her eyes fell to Oliver and he silently groaned. Her eyes had an almost amber tint to her usual chocolate brown and she looked at Oliver hungrily, the team all sharing amused looks. Without speaking, she reached for his hand and dragged him away from the team, heading for her office and pulling an exhausted Oliver behind her. He twisted to look over his shoulder, mouthing "help me" and the team laughed loudly, shaking their heads.

As they were walking through the reception area, the crossed paths the girlfriends.

"I always knew you were a slag, dragging off your husband to shag him whilst you're at work, are we?" Jenny said cruelly.

Hermione, not having the patience to deal with them today, simply waved her hand and with a whispered spell she turned Jenny's hair into snakes –non-venomous, of course- and continued walking whilst she shrieked.

"You're banned from this stadium and all home matches," Hermione said calmly, not stopping in her steps as she continued towards her office, hearing Jenny's screams behind her and the other witches' fearful noises as they tried to get rid of the snakes.

When they stepped into her office, she locked and silenced the room and pushed Oliver until he slumped down on the couch and she straddled his hips.

"Sparrow, a love ye an' ye know a love doing this with ye, but am exhausted," he muttered, blinking slowly.

"But I want you," she whispered against his mouth and he groaned, his head falling back against the couch. "If you can find the energy to do this... I promise to let you take me flying."

Piquing his interest, he lifted his head and his tired eyes searched her expression before he nodded, her mouth quickly latching on to his. It was a hurried coupling, not removing any clothing and just manoeuvring around it and when Hermione cried Oliver's name and bit his neck, he didn't have the energy to hold back and found his relief, sinking back into the couch in exhaustion.

"I'm sorry," she said, her posture relaxing and seeming to have better control of herself as she healed Oliver's bite mark. "I know I'm being a pain in the arse."

"It's not yer fault, Sparrow," he sighed. "Once the full moon's over ev'rything will be back tae normal an' am a'll learn tae keep up with ye," he said, tightening his hold on her as she hugged him.

"I can't promise that'll be the last time, especially since the full moon hasn't taken full effect yet. I'll be better tomorrow, just tired."

"Am exhausted," he told her, "But, there's things a can do fer ye tha' don' require much movement on me part."

Hermione groaned. "Are you trying to get me worked up again?" He chuckled. "When we get home, I'll make dinner, you can go to bed and I'll give you a massage and then I'll shut myself in the library so I can't disturb you. I have studying to do anyway since my NEWTs are in less than a month."

"Ye work tae hard," he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Not really, once I get my NEWTs out of the way I have about two months until the release of my first book."

"Ye never did tell mae hoo tha' meeting went," he said thoughtfully.

"I owled every publishing company that showed interest, asking questions and I had a meeting with the Chief Editor from Whizz Hard Books. They offered me the better deal. I went through the contract and we made some changes, it was revised and we both signed it. I've finished the first four years of my journals and they've allowed me a deadline of mid-October to the end of November as they know I have a busy schedule. I'm sending them my first book tonight and the Chief Editor himself will be the only person to have access to my books as they don't want it leaking to the press. We've decided that instead of releasing the books annually, we'll release one book every four weeks, which means all seven books will be released no later than July. The first book will be released before Christmas and Professor McGonagall owled to say that she wishes to add my books to the school curriculum even though they haven't been released yet. She's putting the books as a requirement on the Hogwarts letters but she's making a note that the first book won't be out until before Christmas. Fifteen percent of profits go to Whizz Hard Books, we get forty percent and the other forty-five percent is being put into an account that will divide the money between a variety of charities"

Oliver smiled tiredly. "Am proud af ye," he said and Hermione beamed.

"Thank you. Now, I've changed my mind. You're going home and I'll meet you there. It's not safe for you to be flying when you're this exhausted. I'm sorry I couldn't control myself, I'm usually not too bad during the day but this is the first full moon where I have a husband who's bound to me for life."

Oliver chuckled. "Am not goin' home," he argued.

"Yes, you are. I love you," she kissed him before climbing off his lap and casting a few Cleaning Charms.

"Love ye," Oliver mumbled exhaustedly as she took her leave and she chuckled.

She made her way back to the Coach's box and the team smirked when they saw her approaching them and she rolled her eyes and fought the blush that was threatening to appear.

"Where's Wood? You shag him to death?" Malloy asked.

Hermione scowled and the others watched her carefully, preparing to run for their lives if they had to.

"No, I've sent him home. It's dangerous for him to be training when he's so tired," she replied. He smirked at her. "You don't understand how difficult it is to try and control your emotions when you have lupine traits. I'm very territorial of him at the moment and I can't stop snapping. I usually have better control but this is the first full moon where I have a husband," she shrugged. "Anyway, Thompson?"

He looked at her fearfully. "Yeah?" He asked anxiously.

"I hexed your girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, you did what?" He blinked.

"She called me a slag, so I hexed," she shrugged casually. "I turned her hair into snakes and then I banned her from the stadium."

"That's brilliant," Wilks shook his head amused.

"Just thought I'd let you know, she's going to be a pain in the arse," she said sympathetically and he groaned. "As I said in Ireland, if any of you want a break, you can stay with me and Oliver, however, I would advise against tonight because I'll be snappy and tomorrow I'll be exhausted. The next full moon, bring chocolate to work with you and a lot of it. All of you, it'll help me stop snapping at you. Now, get back to training," she ordered.

They mock saluted her before darting to their brooms when she pulled her wand.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Tuesday 11th August 1998**

"So, Wood," Pallie began as the team gathered for lunch. "When can we expect the first Quidditch baby?"

The team all sniggered but Thompson frowned when he noticed the look on Oliver's face.

"What is it?" He asked, tipping his head slightly.

Oliver sighed before shifting in his seat. He might as well tell them, he thought. As much as they annoyed him, they were his friends and they spent more time together than they did their own families. They'd get suspicious as the months went by with Hermione possibly not falling pregnant, especially when they knew contraceptives were banned.

"Hermione suffered a lot during the war, mentally, emotionally, but most af all, physically. She may not be able tae have kids," he admitted.

They stared at him, all traces of humour lost.

"What?" Malloy asked first. "What d'you mean? Of course, she can have kids. She's only eighteen."

Oliver shrugged. "Am tellin' ye, she may not be able tae have kids. She was heartbroken aboot it, she was afraid tae tell mae but she did befere the wedding in case a wanted tae petition fer a new match. Jus' 'coz she may not be able tae have children biologically doesn't mean a love her any less. We can always adopt. It wouldn't bother mae if we had tae adopt, a'd love any child as if it were me own, as would our family. We don' know fer certain though, Hermione's tae afraid tae get tested an' the law prohibits the use af any contraceptives. So, if it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't."

"We're sorry," Thompson said honestly.

"It's okay, either way a'll be a dad sometime in the future."

"Well, her not being able to have kids has its advantages," Wilks perked up and Oliver arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. "Imagine a pregnant Hermione at the full moon," he described and they all shivered at the thought.

"A see yer point," Oliver chuckled.

"Where is Hermione anyway?" Kings asked.

"She's in her office havin' a meeting with her editor fer her books, she'll be oot any minute now. She's dropping our lunch aff an' then leaving tae go do some stuff at home an' then she's comin' back," Oliver told them. "Anyway, ye guys are married. When can we expect the first Quidditch baby?" He asked, looking at the reserve players and they all laughed when they paled and shuddered, looking ill.

"Not any time soon," Kelsy promised, looking terrified at the very thought and they all laughed.

~000~000~000~

"Well, boys, that's everything for today. We have our match against the Falmouth Falcons on Thursday so we've got our work cut out for us," said Hermione, "So get your sweaty arses out of here," she grinned, shooing them away with her hands and they chuckled at her; it was good to have the normal Hermione back, instead of the hormone-crazed full moon Hermione.

Oliver and the team left to the locker room but Thompson stayed behind, looking nervous.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Well, Jenny's been doing my head in and she hasn't given me any space to think... And after you hexed her... You said that if we needed to we could..."

Hermione smiled softly. "Thompson," she interrupted, "Do you want to stay with me and Oliver for a few days?" She asked kindly. Quaffle barked and she looked down at him and snorted. "And Quaffle," she added, her pet seeming to have taken offence at being left out.

"You're sure you don't mind? I don't want to intrude..."

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes. "Go and shower, then go home and pack whatever you need and come back here. I needed to stay for a little while anyway to work on something."

"You're sure you..."

Hermione pulled her wand and that had him turning around and promptly leaving, her mouth twitching into a smirk.

An hour later, Hermione was sat in her office and going over some player and match statistics for the Falmouth Falcons, when there was a knock at the door and she looked up and smiled when she saw a nervous-looking Thompson with a bag in hand.

"Right on time, I've just finished," she said brightly, shuffling the files on her desk into a pile before she put them in the drawer and then stood. She walked out of her office and closed the door behind her before making her way to the fireplace.

"You're sure..." He started but Hermione pulled her wand. "Shutting up," he nodded.

She laughed at him. "Oliver's at home with Quaffle, when we get in, you can put your stuff on the table, I'll make dinner and then I'll give you a tour afterwards. And you might want to prepare yourself, I almost had a heart attack when I first saw the apartment." He raised an eyebrow as they reached the floo. "You're not keyed into the floo, so I'll have to hold onto you and Oliver will key you in later."

~000~000~000

**Wood Apartment**

"Bloody hell!" Thompson spluttered, his voice echoing throughout the apartment along with Hermione's laughter as he took in the sheer size of the apartment with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

"Told you," she shrugged amused.

Quaffle, obviously having heard their entrance, came bounding into the room from the balcony.

"How's my puppy?" Hermione asked Quaffle in a 'baby voice' as he jumped up at her, and Oliver entered into the living room, coming from the corridor that led to their room.

"You're sure..." Thompson said looking at Oliver.

"Shut up," Hermione and Oliver interrupted.

He crossed over to Hermione, pressed a kiss to her forehead and then followed her to the kitchen with Thompson following dumbly.

"What's fer dinner tanight?" Oliver asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table and Thompson did the same as he took in all of the strange muggle appliances he'd never before seen.

"In honour of our special guest, chicken poppet wraps," she answered cheerily. Oliver shook his head amused, she really _did_ eat them at least once a week.

"What're all of those strange appliances?" Thompson asked, tipping his head in gesture.

"Muggle kitchen appliances," Oliver said, "Befere Hermione moved in, a had the kitchen renovated an' bought the muggle appliances fer her since she's a Muggleborn. A wanted this place tae be comfortable fer her an' a wanted tae incorporate her muggle heritage intae the apartment," he shrugged. "When she moved in she put the spell she created on them tae allow them tae work around magic."

"You're not allergic to anything are you, Thompson?" Hermione asked.

"No, not that I know of at least."

Hermione and Oliver chatted comfortably whilst she made dinner and Thompson commented every once in a while but most he observed. Oliver was a lot different to how he behaved when at the stadium. He laughed and smiled more often, he wasn't as tense or tightly wound. He carried himself differently, like he didn't have the weight of the Quidditch League on his shoulders. He seemed to be care-free. He looked at Hermione with adoration and whenever she walked past him he would snag her around the waist and pull her to him, refusing to let go until she kissed him. He joked and he didn't seem as reserved or serious. It was like looking at two different people. He remembered reading the article after the press conference and he now understood Hermione's words. She really did see the real Oliver, all of him and he and the team had no idea.

When Hermione placed dinner on the table, they ate, talked and laughed at Hermione scolding Oliver for feeding Quaffle under the table, he didn't attempt it since Hermione threatened him with a hex and Oliver called him a chicken which he was fine with. He would rather the name-calling than endangering his life.

After dinner, he watched Hermione and Oliver clear away together and he did the dishes whilst she dried them and they kissed whenever they could and it brought a smile to his face. It was so simple and domestic. That's what he wanted, he wanted what Hermione and Oliver had. Not what he and Jenny had.

When they'd finished, they gave him a tour and he was amazed, especially by the room that had a strange large box in that Hermione said showed talking, moving pictures and then they showed him the library and the newly done potions lab and study area Hermione had finished decorating only that day. They then took him to his room down the other corridor and way from theirs, leaving him to unpack and he found them in the library sometime later. Hermione was studying and Oliver was playing with Quaffle on the floor by the fireplace and Thompson laughed when Quaffle pounced on Oliver, sending him flying backwards as he growled playfully and bowed his back, wagging his tail.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked kindly.

"Better," replied, taking a seat in the other armchair in the room. "It's nice not having someone nagging in your ear at the bloody time."

"I'm really sorry for turning her hair into snakes," she said sheepishly.

"Don't be; it was brilliant, I'm just upset I didn't get to see it." She laughed at him. "It's nice here," he remarked.

"Tha's Hermione's doin'," Oliver said from his place on the floor, play fighting with Quaffle. "Ye should've seen it when she moved in."

"He's right, the only thing that had colour was the kitchen, library, our room and my old room and that was only because he hired a decorator. The place blinded you."

"Why is this place so big?"

"It's the presidential suite," Hermione said. "Oliver owns the building."

Thompson's eyes widened.

" _We_ own the building" Oliver corrected with a roll of his eyes.

"Fine, we own the building. We're the only apartment on this floor. Every other floor either has two or three. Some of the apartments are half this size and others are three times smaller," she shrugged. "But this is the largest apartment since it takes up the entire floor."

"How many apartments are in this building?"

"Fifty-twa," Oliver replied.

"No wonder you could afford a nine thousand galleon ring," he muttered and Oliver smirked.

They spent all night talking and when Hermione started yawning, they decided to call it a night.

"Remember to use Silencing Charms," Thompson teased said as they walked out of the room. Hermione was already in the bedroom so she didn't hear, luckily for him.

"Thompson, we dinnae use a Silencing Charm when our Marriage Official was here, why would we use one fer ye?" Oliver smirked and Thompson choked in surprise.

"You? You...?"

"Ravished me beautiful wife against our bedroom wall whilst the Marriage Official waited fer us in the living room whilst we changed? Aye, a did," he said smugly. "It was her own fault, we were otherwise _engaged_ an' she turned up banging on the door befere ten on a Sunday morning. She made a few comments a dinnae appreciate an' was tae busy staring at mae an' glaring at Hermione, so she deserved it," he shrugged. "She looked very flustered when we came out af our room," he said amusedly and Thompson stared at him.

 _Seriously, where's the Wood from training,'_ he thought.

With a "good night" Oliver took his leave and Thompson returned to his own room, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about his life, his future.

Should he stay with Jenny and have an unhappy future? Should he break off the engagement and risk the Ministry? What if he was matched with someone worse? What if he was matched with someone better? His perfect match? After hours of laying awake and his mind repeating the same thoughts and arguments, he climbed out of bed with the intention to head to the balcony to get some fresh air.

As he entered the living room, he saw hundreds of balls of light letting off a soft glow in the kitchen and Hermione was sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in hand. She was wearing Oliver's Quidditch jersey and it fell to just below her mid-thigh and fell off one shoulder, it being too big for her.

He wished he had someone like Hermione. Someone kind, someone that didn't care about his fame or fortune. Someone that didn't dress up all the time and covered themselves in makeup. Someone who would wear his jersey and support him, be proud of him.

She looked up and smiled at him before she stood to make him a cup of tea and when she was done, she retook her seat at the table and put his tea in front of the chair opposite her, gesturing to it. He crossed over to take a seat, lifting the mug and sipping at the hot liquid.

Someone who could make a good cup of tea.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked.

He shook his head. "You?"

She shook her head. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked offered. His lifted his gaze to see her soft and kind expression and he sighed in defeat.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted.

"About Jenny?" She checked.

"I don't think I love her. I don't know if I ever did or if I was blinded by her beauty and sucked into her lies. I look at you and Oliver and see the love you two have for each other. The way you look at each other like your each other's forever and you've just told each other that you're in love. The way you always find a way to touch each other like you're afraid you're going to be taken away. The way you speak to each other so softly because you're afraid you might unintentionally hurt the other with your words. The way you gravitate towards each other when you're in the same room. When I think about me and Jenny, I don't see any of that or feel it. I feel tired and like I'm suffocating, like she's sucking the life out of me," he said honestly and Hermione took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "She nags me all the time, and I don't mind some nagging as long as it's for the right reasons." She chuckled at him. "But all she does is complain and spend my money."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Brutally?"

She nodded, and being curious as to what she might say, he agreed.

"I think that Jenny's a mean and selfish bastard," she stated without remorse. His eyebrows rose high, she didn't usually speak ill of people, well, unless it was Skeeter but that was understandable. "If she can't see what she's doing to you then she's fucking stupid. You're intelligent, humble and kind. You're the nicest of all the boys on the team. You work hard and you deserve someone you can rely on. Someone that will love and support you and nag you for all the right reasons. You deserve someone that will wear your jersey and be proud of you and that will leave the house not looking like a clown and that won't spend your money on pointless shite. I think Jenny's using you because she knows that you're too kind to say something. She's taking advantage of you and I hate seeing that she's causing you this much pain. When I joined the team, you took me in and made me feel like part of the family. You all did. And that makes you my family. I don't have any of my biological family left, but I have the Weasleys, the Woods and the team. You all may piss me off daily to try and get a rise out of me, and to the point where I consider hexing you into next week, but I love you all. The only time you are happy is when you're at the stadium and that's not what you deserve. You deserve better."

He looked at her feeling very vulnerable after her speech and he saw both honesty and anger in her eyes.

"What do I do?" He asked helplessly.

"I think you already know your answer," she said. She then stood and walked around the table, pulling him up from his chair and hugging him before standing on her tiptoes and kissing his forehead, exactly as a mother would their child. She drew back, picked up his mug and pressed it into his hands. "Try and get some rest and we'll talk more in the morning," she said softly.

"Thank you."

"We're family," she smiled, turning and leaving the kitchen.

She halted in her steps, seeing Oliver leaning against the wall in the corridor and given his soft expression, she knew he'd heard the whole conversation, especially as sound travelled in the large apartment. She rushed to him and he led her into their bedroom, closing the door behind them as she clung to him, crying into his chest.

"I can't believe he feels that way," Hermione sobbed. "I wish I could help him."

"Ye already have, Sparrow, tha' talk did him a lot af good. Ye proved tae him tha' people do care aboot him an' tha' ye care aboot him. Yer've made him see things from a different perspective an' now his life can only get better."

"Unless he gets paired with someone worse," she argued.

"A doubt he will, they're supposed tae be paired with their perfect match. They brought us tagether, dinnae they? Maybe they do know what they're doin'."

"I love you and I promise I'll never take you for granted."

"A love ye, tae, Sparrow, an' anno hoo lucky a am tae have ye."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment – Wednesday 12th August 1998**

Thompson entered the kitchen freshly showered and dressed for the day and feeling better than he had in a long time and he smiled at the sight that met him. Hermione and Oliver were both showered and dressed, and a song he didn't recognise was playing loudly from a strange small box that was on the table. Hermione and Oliver were dancing around the kitchen together and Quaffle was jumping up and barking around them.

Hermione was singing along to the song and Oliver was laughing whilst dancing with her.

" _Is it in his face? Oh no! That's just his charms. In his warm embrace? Oh no! That's just his arms. If you want to know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss,_ " Hermione sang and Oliver kissed her. " _That's_ _where it is, it's in his kiss!_ " He kissed her again. " _That's where it is. Kiss him and squeeze him tight!_ " Oliver laughed as he tugged her into his chest. " _Find_ _out what you want to know. If it's love, if it really is, it's there in his kiss!_ " He kissed her again. " _How about the way he acts? Oh no! That's not the way. And you're not listenin' to all I say. If you wanna know if he loves you so it's in his kiss!"_ Oliver kissed her again _._ That was what he wanted in life. _"That's where it is, it's in his kiss!_ " Oliver kissed her once more before Hermione noticed Thompson stood watching them with a smile.

"Morning," Hermione said in a sing-song voice, pulling away from Oliver and returning to making breakfast and the song changed to _Body Movin'_ by the Beastie Boys and Hermione sang along as Oliver took a seat at the table and laughed at her.

" _Body movin', body movin'. A-1 sound, sound so soothing. Body movin', body movin'. We be getting down and you know we're crush grooving!_ " She walked over to Thompson and dragged him into the kitchen, forcing him to dance with her whilst she sang and he and Oliver laughed at her. " _Now let me get some action from the back section, we need body rocking, not perfection. Let your backbone flip but don't slip a disc, let your spine unwind just take a risk. I wanna do the freak until the break of dawn, now tell me party people is that so wrong. The ship is docking, inter-lockin', and up-rockin' electro-shocking. We're getting down computer action, do the robotic satisfaction. All of y'all get off the wall, have a ball and get involved with body movin', movin'!_ " She finally released him and allowed him to take a seat as she turned back to making breakfast.

"Is she always like this?" He asked Oliver.

"Pretty much," Oliver nodded, looking to Hermione and smiling fondly. "She keeps mae on me toes."

Hermione set three cups of tea on the table along with three glasses of orange juice before she turned off the music and put the plates on the table, taking a seat and making a start on eating breakfast. Thompson stared at the food in surprise; his plate was stacked high with six pancakes in two piles with some cut up fruit on top and syrup. He looked to Hermione.

"On the left, you have banana pancakes and on the right, you have chocolate chip pancakes," she said.

Oliver sniggered at his surprised expression. "Took mae a while tae get used tae it, tae. She used tae live with Weasleys an' a think she's tryna fatten mae up."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled. Thompson shook his head, laughed and then started eating and giving compliments on Hermione's cooking and she thanked him.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?"

He nodded. "I think it's time to break off the engagement and put my faith in the Ministry," he said and Hermione smiled at him.

"I'm proud of you," she said, and then she whistled and Ali came flying into the kitchen from the balcony where her cage was kept. She _Accio_ 'd some parchment and a muggle pen and handed it to Thompson. "Write to the Ministry first, let them know and they can find you a match quicker and Jenny will be out of your hair. You should write to Gringotts, too, and have her access removed from your vault."

Nodding, he did just that after getting over the fact that muggle pens were 'genius' and Hermione penned a note to Kingsley before she tied the letters to Ali and sent her off with some bacon.

They finished eating breakfast and still had time before they had to leave for work, so Oliver headed to the library and Thompson helped Hermione clear away.

"Thank you for helping me."

"No problem, you've been feeding me and you've helped me get my life back on track. I don't know how to repay you," he said.

"A hug will do," she smiled and he chuckled before hugging her gratefully. "Do you want to break the news this morning? I can come with you as back up, be your wing woman," she nudged him with her shoulder and he laughed but nodded. "Do you know where she'll be?"

"At my apartment, no doubt, she's taken over the place because it's bigger than hers. She practically lives with me even though she has her own place."

"I'll come with you and Oliver can take Quaffle and let Coach know that you're with me."

~000~000~000

**Thompson's Apartment**

They floo'd into his apartment and Hermione examined her surroundings carefully, seeing that Thompson hadn't been kidding when he'd said Jenny had taken over his apartment. It was nowhere near as big as her and Oliver's, the walls were a blush pink, it looking to have been charmed poorly as patches of white shined through. Light wooden floorboards covered the ground, two white cotton couches and a glass coffee table, made up the living room and there were women's clothing and makeup seeming to cover every surface. The kitchen was small and fitted with white marble countertops and cupboard doors that were a shade darker than the flooring and there were two doors, one led to the bathroom and the other the bedroom.

Hermione could hear shouting and she stood patiently waiting, not wanting to intrude just yet. Five minutes later, Thompson stormed out of the bedroom.

"Let's go," he said angrily.

"No, you go ahead and wait for me at the stadium, I won't be long." He looked at her curiously and when she smiled sweetly, he decided he didn't want to know.

When he'd floo'd out of the apartment, Hermione headed for the bedroom, stepping in through the open door. There was a king-sized bed with white and pink polka dot bedding, a white carpet and once again, blush pink walls being poorly charmed as patches of blue and gold seeped through. Hermione thought she'd just discovered the awful witch's favourite colour and what a surprise it was pink. She could think of another awful toad-like witch that had adored the colour, too, and things hadn't ended well for her. The bedside table and chest of drawers were white and there was a walk-in wardrobe, clothes and shoes looking to be spilling from inside and into the room.

 _Poor, Thompson,_ she thought with a sigh, her eyes soon landing on Jenny.

"What're you doing here?" She sneered at Hermione.

"Just come to collect what's Thompson's," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"He's not breaking off the engagement, we're getting married," she hissed adamantly.

"Then you'll be the only one at the altar," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Give me the ring and get out."

"No, we're getting married!"

Hermione laughed as she drew her wand. "It's cute that you think you have a choice," she said sweetly, the engagement ring disappearing from Jenny's finger and reappearing in Hermione's open palm.

"YOU BITCH!"

Hermione flicked her wand, Stunning the God-awful woman before she made her way back into the living room to get some boxes so she could start packing her stuff, when something caught her eye. A contract. She walked over to it and picked it up; it was the contract for the lease on the apartment and after skimming through it, a smirk pulled at her mouth. Things truly were working in Thompson' favour.

She transfigured some bags into suitcases and sent spells around the apartment, packing anything that had Thompson's name on, looked like it belonged to him or she thought might be his. She packed clothing, photos, wash products and personal items and trinkets as everything came from different rooms and she shrunk down the suitcases and placed them in her beaded bag. She then walked back into the bedroom and cancelled the Stunner on Jenny, the other woman looking furious.

There had been a change of plans. Thompson was moving out and Jenny was staying.

"I'm not leaving; this apartment is mine just as much as it's his!" She argued.

 _No, it isn't,_ Hermione thought with a snort.

"That's okay, you can have it," Hermione said sweetly. "By the way, the Ministry is already aware of the engagement being broken and Gringotts has removed your access to Thompson's vault. They're finding new matches as we speak. I hope you get matched with someone as equally as horrid as you. You're truly are a disgusting human being. You set your sights on Thompson because you knew you could get your claws in him. You took advantage of a kind and humble man and dragged him down. You're pathetic and not worthy of him. You're so desperate that you had to lie to get a man and control him. He was never going to marry you; three years engaged without any wedding planning should've given it away. Stay away from him or I'll hurt you so bad they'll have to create a new ward at St. Mungo's so they can study you," Hermione warned before she turned on her heel and left the seething witch behind, feeling pleased with herself.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

Hermione made her way down the stands of the Coach's box and over to the team who were watching Thompson pace back and forth agitatedly. When he heard footsteps approaching, he looked up and halted in place.

"Well?" He asked anxiously.

Hermione smiled and threw him the ring and he caught it, looking down at it in surprise. "You're no longer engaged, you're a free, single man."

He released a huge sigh of relief before crossing over to her, picking her up and hugging her as he spun circles.

"Thank you," he said as he set her back on her feet. "That means I can have my apartment back."

"Yeah, about that," Hermione interrupted and his attention snapped to her and he narrowed his eyes.

"What?" He asked quickly, almost being too afraid to ask, dreading the answer.

"I told her she could keep the apartment," she shrugged.

"You did what!?" His voice rose and the team startled in surprise.

"I said she could keep it. You see, I couldn't help but notice a certain property contract on the table and since I'm nosey, I couldn't help but read it. Apparently, you're rental agreement's due to expire and you need to renew it. _But_ , did you know that you're overpaying for that apartment? And did you know that Oliver and I are renovating six empty apartments in our building? And did you know that the price for rent is the same as what you're paying now?" She said, tipping her head questioningly.

He stared in surprise before he lifted her off the ground in a hug once more.

"You're a gift from Merlin," he sighed and she laughed at him as he put her back on her feet and stepped back.

"They won't be done until sometime in November, but you can stay with us until then. We'll even give you first choice of the apartments and you'll likely get a discount on the rent, as well, because you're family, so you'll be paying even less for an apartment almost four times bigger than the one I let Jenny have. And since Jenny's name wasn't on the rental agreement, and you haven't signed the contract, you no longer own the apartment. So, unless she pays rent, she has to move out."

She smiled at his beaming smile and she looked over at Oliver to see him smiling softly at her as well.

"Now that the drama is over, we should get to work; we have a match tomorrow." She looked at the team to see them looking at her strangely. "If any of you need a wing woman, I'm your girl," she said confidently.

"She really is," Thompson agreed, his eyes darting between the ring in his hand and Hermione.

He was now a free man. Well, until he received his Ministry match and was forced to marry, that is. But things could only get better. He couldn't imagine anyone being worse than his ex.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Thursday 13th August 1998**

"Congratulations!" Hermione called, with her and the team being gathered in the corridor. "You won!" The team cheered and shared high-fives. "As promised, the celebration party will be at our apartment which means there's no fans, press or partners and you can drink until you pass out without fear of unflattering photo being on the front page of the _Prophet_." The team cheered again. "In preparation, last night Oliver and I went shopping and we bought plenty of alcohol, both muggle and wizarding, so drinks are on us for the whole night."

"You can afford it," Thompson said cheekily, the others laughing at him.

"Thompson's the only one to be keyed into the floo network, so I've had a port-key made for us and I adjusted the wards this morning so."

Hermione removed a battered goblet from her beaded bag and when everyone touched it, they disappeared.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

"Bloody hell!" The team chorused.

"This place is _huge!_ " Pallie muttered in disbelief, his eyes darting about the large space.

Hearing music flittering from the kitchen, Hermione approached, seeing the twins almost complete with setting up the drinking options on the table whilst Quaffle lay sprawled on the floor, a chew toy in his mouth.

"I see you decided to start without us," said Hermione.

"Of course," started Fred, "We've gotta get at least some alcohol in our system before they drink it all," he gestured towards the voices with a jab of his thumb. "Trust us, us athletes know how to handle our drink."

She rolled her eyes and drew her wand, setting Cooling Charms over the many bottles that covered the table. When done, the team was given a quick tour of the apartment before the alcohol was soon flowing. They teased, laughed, drank and danced for hours, all being comfortable with the knowledge that there was no one to spy on them and capture their drunken moments to used as front-page news the next day.

It was after midnight, they were all tuckered out from dancing and laughing and they'd all squeezed onto the couch and corner suite whilst Oliver was sat on the armchair with Hermione sitting on his lap. He had one arm around her waist, his hand pressing against her stomach, and a tumbler of vodka was held in the other. Hermione's legs were thrown over the armrest, her back pressed against the other whilst she also held a tumbler of vodka, wishing they hadn't run out of juice and other mixers. Quaffle was asleep on the floor, somehow ignoring all of the noise happening around him.

Wishing to play a drinking game that didn't require much energy or skill, something Hermione thought might've been a little childish given their age, the team had asked Hermione if she knew of any muggle games. The twins had just finished explaining the game 'I have never' with the team all agreeing that they wanted to play. They were all drunk at this point, or in Hermione's case, tipsy, as she'd been careful with her alcohol intake, not wanting to suffer in the morning.

"I have never cheated on someone," Bishop began, Hermione looking around the room and seeing that no one sipped from their own drinks, nodding in approval.

"I have never injured myself during sex," Malloy offered.

Pallie, Kings and Briggs all sipped from their drinks.

"Explain," Oliver sniggered.

"I fell out of bed and almost knocked myself unconscious," Pallie said and they laughed.

"Slipped in the shower, fell over the side of the bathtub and brought the whole shower curtain down with me," Kings explained and they laughed with tears in their eyes and he grinned unabashedly.

"I fell down the stairs and almost broke my hand," Briggs told them and they laughed.

Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to know why or how, if she was honest, and so remained quiet.

"I have never had sex with someone of the same sex," said Wilks.

Malloy took a healthy swig from his tumbler and they all stared at him in surprise. Now, that was one person Hermione wouldn't have suspected.

"I was fifteen, hormonal as hell _and_ drunk. It was only once and that's when I decided I _definitely_ preferred women."

"Okay, I'm curious, were you a top or a bottom?"

"Fred!" Hermione cried. He grinned at her. "You don't have to answer that," she looked to Malloy, the wizard seeming unaffected as he shrugged, looking rather like _was_ going to answer.

Thompson was next and he looked to Hermione and Oliver, his mouth twitching into a smirk, something that worried her, if she was honest.

"I have never had sex whilst there was someone waiting for me in another room," he said innocently. Hermione and Oliver both glared at him before sipping from their tumblers.

"You didn't?" Malloy laughed in disbelief.

"Explain," Pallie demanded, his eyes darting between them.

Hermione, whilst being by no means drunk, was glad for the fact she was tipsy enough that she didn't feel completely embarrassed by the turn the game had taken.

"The Sunday after our wedding, we were having sex when there was a knock on the door. Who turns up knocking on the door befere ten on a Sunday mornin'?" Oliver grumbled with a shake of his head.

"I feel ill," the twins chorused, covering their ears with cushions to drown out the conversation, their expressions pulled into sickly grimaces, something that made them snigger.

"We tried tae ignore it but in the end, a climbed aff the bed, wrapped meself in a bedsheet an' stormed tae the door, understandably pissed. On the other side was a woman, an' a had this damn obvious tent tha' a couldn't hide. It was our assigned Marriage Official, an' when a reluctantly let her in, Hermione came oot covered in a bedsheet."

Hermione cleared her throat. "She was staring at Oliver and glaring at me. I was so embarrassed that I quickly left to change into actual clothing and Oliver followed me. I threw on one of his jerseys and I ran to the door to leave but he caught me."

"A had her pinned tae the wall befere she knew it," Oliver grinned shamelessly, not caring for their smirks or sniggers. "We dinnae t bother with Silencing Charms an' when we left our bedroom dressed, the Marriage Official was looking all flustered." The team laughed. "It helped tha' Hermione had bitten mae 'coz was feeling territorial an' she left scratch marks on me back."

They all burst into laughter, struggling to breathe as they took in Hermione's embarrassment and Oliver far too pleased expression.

"Never would've taken you for an exhibitionist, Hermione," Malloy winked.

Scowling, she picked up a cushion from the floor and threw it at him before doing the same to Fred, he and George removing the cushions from their ears, looking grateful that the conversation was over.

"Moving on," Hermione encouraged, looking to the twins with narrowed eyes when they shared a smirk.

"I have never had a professor hit on to me," Fred said innocently. Hermione glared at him and his sniggering twin but took a sip from her tumbler.

"What?" Oliver choked.

"Sixth year, Slughorn came on to me after class. It's one of the reasons he made me a member of the Slug Club, he had a thing for me," she shuddered, grimacing in disgust and they laughed at her. "He touched my shoulder and ran his hand down my back; I've never run from a classroom so fast in my life. I mean, I know I was of age, but the thought of..." She trailed off, unable to finish her words.

"I have never set a heard of hippogriffs lose in Hogwarts," George supplied. She glared at him but took another sip from her tumbler.

"You did what?" Fox arched an eyebrow.

"Fifth year, after Dumbledore had left school, Umbridge became Headmistress. Then the twins left and I was pissed, so when I had a free period, I snuck down to the stables and released the hippogriffs. I left a trail of food leading to the castle. It took the whole day to round them up and return them back in the stables."

"That's brilliant," Wilks muttered, staring her in surprise.

"No one knew it was me, well, except McGonagall, of course. She took fifty points from Gryffindor for doing something so dangerous and then she gave me fifty- _five_ points for giving Umbridge hell," she grinned and they laughed at her. "Anyway," Hermione looked to the twins, smiling innocently. "I have never kissed my brother."

Fred and George glared at her but sipped from their own drink of choice. They all stared at them before sniggering.

"Yer've gotta explain tha' one," said Oliver.

"We'd just brewed Amortentia and we needed to test it for its potency before we bottled it and put it on the shelves," began George.

"So, I slipped a drop into George's pumpkin juice," Fred continued. "It worked great, except I was the first person George saw... I was in the storage room in the back of the shop and George walked over to me and planted one right on me," he grimaced.

"Fred took my wand and locked me upstairs in the flat for the rest of the day until it wore off," added George.

"I was in the potions lab at the time and all I could hear was George shouting love poems and singing love songs from upstairs for the rest of the day," offered Hermione, her laughter mixing with that of the others.

"I have never been on a date with an octopus," Fred said unexpectedly. .

"You bastard," Hermione groaned and the twins laughed as she took a sip of her drink. "Sixth year, I needed a date to Slughorn's Christmas party and I took Cormac McLaggen to piss Ron off. He hated him and he wasn't only getting on my nerves, but everyone else's as well with his disgusting public displays of affection with Lav-Lav. However, the plan backfired because McLaggen kept pawing at me and trying to catch me under the mistletoe. Harry was practically glued to my side that night so that I could kiss his cheek and then run and hide," she shivered with them sniggering at her.

"I have never slept with two people at the same time," Kelsy supplied.

Hermione shrugged and took a drink, seeing their stares of surprise.

"You said you were a virgin when you married Wood," Malloy said, looking between the two of them with a smirk.

 _Of course, he would think that,_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

"I was, but you said 'slept' with, not have 'sex' with, you have to be more specific."

They looked wholly unimpressed with her as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I have never had a stalker," Fisher said and both Oliver and Hermione sipped from their tumblers.

"Mary," Oliver shrugged.

"McLaggen and Viktor."

"What?" Oliver questioned, looking to Hermione in confusion.

"McLaggen wouldn't leave me alone after the party, he would show up wherever I was and insist that I loved him and I was just playing hard to get," she rolled her eyes. "Before Viktor and I started dating, he followed me to the library and watched me study whilst he hid behind bookcases. I didn't notice until Madam Pince pointed it out to me and then he seemed to be wherever I was," she shrugged.

"I have never kissed a member of the same sex," Martin said.

Malloy, the twins and surprisingly Hermione, drank. Having heard the stories for the twins and Malloy, they looked to Hermione.

"Explain," both Malloy and Oliver demanded in unrehearsed unison.

"I kissed Ginny and Luna on a dare."

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Pallie mused.

She shrugged before saying, "I've never snogged a street sign," she and George laughing when Fred unabashedly took another drink.

"Hoo did tha' happen?" Oliver laughed.

"Hermione took us out drinking in the Muggle World, something we weren't prepared for. We had a shit load of muggle alcohol, unknowing of how strong that stuff is. We were pissed before we even left the first club."

"She cast a Confundus Charm on Fred," George explained, "So not only was he pissed, but _extremely_ confused and he started snogging a street sign thinking it was a woman." They laughed. "To make things worse, she also cast a Sticking Charm, so he was _stuck_ to the street sign, too. I thought she was going to leave him there all night."

Fred's eyes turned to her, his mouth twitching. "I've never had my arse pinched by a fourteen-year-old."

Hermione grumbled and took a drink.

"I've never turned myself into a cat," George added and Hermione took a drink.

"How did you manage that one?" Thompson asked amusedly.

"I brewed PolyJuice in a girl's bathroom my second year... We wanted to sneak in the Slytherin common room. Harry and Ron got their hairs and I got mine, the only problem was, I discovered my hair belonged to a cat. I was in the hospital wing with fur, ears, whiskers and a damn tail." They laughed at her. "I have never streaked through the house and jumped in the lake and almost frozen my arse off."

The team laughed as Fred and George shamelessly took a drink.

"We were drunk and playing truth or dare. She dared us to do it so we drunkenly floo'd to our parents and streaked through the house and then jumped into the lake 'cause our mum was chasing us with a wooden spoon, yelling at us to put more clothes on," said Fred. "I have never broken into Gringotts."

The team stared as Hermione took a drink.

"How'd you do that?" Malloy spluttered.

"It was part of the mission to take down Voldemort. We had help from a goblin, I was PolyJuiced as Bellatrix Lestrange and had her wand. He helped us sneak in and took us to where Harry, Ron and I needed to be, but he double-crossed us and left us to die. We broke out on the back of a dragon and then I set it free... Moving on, I've never caught my parents having sex."

The twins grimaced before sipping from their drinks as they laughed at them.

The game continued that way for some time, mostly with the twins and Hermione revealing each other's secrets and getting back at one another whilst the team laughed and occasionally threw in their own prompts, and soon after, they'd all passed out with Hermione and Oliver being the only ones awake.

"I think we should prank them before we go to bed," Hermione mumbled, feeling the effects of the alcohol slowly taking hold of her faculties.

"Hoo?" Asked Oliver.

In response, Hermione stood and padded barefoot to her potions lab, returning with two vials of Sobriety Potion, drinking one down and handing the other to Oliver, slowly feeling it eradicating the effects of their drinking.

"Tha's better; a can think now," he said, "When did ye brew tha'?"

"Last night, I thought it best that I be prepared. Anyway, levitate Malloy and Kings into one of the bedrooms and put them in bed. Cover them with the blanket and then _Evanesco_ their clothes away. They'll get the shock of their lives in the morning," she grinned and he snorted at her.

"You scare me sometimes," he admitted, but he did as she asked.

Whilst he did that, Hermione levitated Thompson into his room and covered him with the blanket before doing the same to the twins, placing them both in her old bedroom with Quaffle following and curling up in his dog bed. She then levitated Fox, McGee and West onto the couch, Bishop onto the armchair and Wilks onto the corner suite since they all had passed out on the floor. She _Accio_ 'd blankets and covered each one of them.

"Yer such a mum," Oliver commented fondly, returning to her side and seeing what she'd done.

"I know," she whined and he snorted. "Is it done?"

"It's done," he confirmed with a grin before he chased her into their bedroom and locked and silenced the door.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Friday 14th August 1998**

Hermione and Oliver exited their bedroom showered and dressed for the day and without a hangover, making their way to the kitchen, seeing that everyone was still asleep and Hermione smothered a laugh when she saw Pallie and Wilks cuddled together. Oliver, however, summoned his wizarding camera and snapped a photo.

"Blackmail material," he grinned and she rolled her eyes.

Hermione set to work making extra helpings of breakfast with Oliver sitting at the table, fondly watching as she pottered about. When Hermione had finished and the smell of the food wafted through the apartment, everyone began to stir from their drunken slumber.

Hermione _Accio_ 'd a vial of Hangover Potion for each of them before moving to wake the twins for the day whilst Oliver let Quaffle out onto the balcony to do his morning business. They groaned and complained that they felt like 'they'd gone ten rounds with the Whomping Willow and then been trampled on by a giant'. She chuckled and handed them a vial of the potion each and they took it gratefully, feeling the effects of the alcohol beginning to fade.

"Breakfast's done and I thought I should let you know, I pranked Malloy and Kings last night."

They grinned. "What did you do?" They asked excitedly.

"Oliver levitated them into a room and put them in bed, he covered them with the blanket and then used a Vanishing Spell on their clothes"

"That's brilliant," They exclaimed and they quickly made their way to the kitchen and the twins enlarged the table for Hermione and conjured more chairs to accommodate the larger party.

One by one, everyone began to stir and was met by Hermione and a Hangover Potion, which they took from her with a thankful expression before they tiredly crossed to the kitchen, taking seats at the table, glaring at Oliver's amused smile as he happily sipped at his tea.

There were only two people missing, Malloy and Kings.

"Where are Malloy and Kings?" Thompson asked and they looked to each other for answers. He then noticed the twins, Hermione and Oliver smirking. "What did you do?" He asked knowingly.

As if on cue, two loud girly shrieks sounded, the team startling in surprise whilst Oliver summoned his wizarding camera and he darted from his chair, quickly being followed by the others.

"I SLEPT WITH YOU?" Kings yelled as Oliver pushed the door open.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY CLOTHES?" Malloy shouted.

They were both a mixture of bright red and sickly green as they held the blankets up to cover themselves, something Hermione thought ridiculous as they shared a locker room and they'd no doubt seen each other naked countless times. When everyone saw the situation they were in, they burst out laughing and Oliver snapped photos of their horrified expressions.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?" They both demanded with a squeak and it did nothing to quell their laughter.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore, and she said, "Don't worry, _nothing_ happened. We just played a prank on you when you passed out. However, if there was any midnight snuggling it had nothing to do with us," she held her hands up, setting off another round of guffaws and Hermione ducked the pillow that was sent her way.

They left them to get dressed and Hermione made a start of placing tea, coffee and glasses of orange juice in front of everyone before she put plates on the table with their food. Hermione had plenty of food including extra bacon, hash browns, toast and she decided to make some sweet waffles with maple syrup, too. When Malloy and Kings made an appearance, she put extra helpings on their plates as an apology. Not only was there food on their plates, but Hermione set plates in the middle of the table that sat extra food should they want it.

Everyone but the twins, Thompson and Oliver stared at her in surprise, their eyes darting between her and the mountain of food before them.

"What?" She asked, after noticing the looks of disbelief on their faces.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Pallie said, shocked at the amount of food on the table and on his own plate.

"No, why?" She frowned.

"She always makes more food than is necessary," Thompson explained.

"She used to live with us," the twins shrugged.

"You're living with them for free, you get to stay in this apartment and use anything you want to and you get your meals cooked for you as well?" Bishop said to Thompson.

"Yeah," he grinned and they shook their heads before they tucked into their breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later, as conversation was flowing comfortably, an owl flew into the kitchen through the open balcony, dropped a letter in front of Thompson and then left without so much as a hoot.

"It's a Ministry owl," Hermione said and the table fell quiet as Thompson picked the letter up, darted a glance around the table before slowly opening the letter.

They all watched expectantly as they waited for answers. His eyes scanned the first piece of parchment before he sighed once more and then looked at the second piece. And everyone held their breaths.

Hermione looked for a look of recognition but one never came. He didn't know who it was.

"I don't know who it is," he confirmed her suspicions, reaching out and handing the parchment over to her across the table. She damn nearly tore the thing in half in her excitement to take it from him and they sniggered at her.

When her eyes landed on the name in the middle of the parchment, she let out a relieved laugh.

"Who is it?" Oliver asked and she handed him the parchment. When he saw the name, he laughed, too, before he handed it the twins, who also started laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Thompson asked quickly, alarmed by their response. Was it good or bad?

"Sorry," she apologised, "We know who she is."

Thompson looked like he wanted to stab her with his fork.

"But the poor boy out of his misery," Pallie rolled his eyes, reaching over to remove the fork from Thompson's tight grip.

"Katie Bell," she said with a smile, something Thompson took as a good sign. She wouldn't smile if it was bad, right? "She was in the year below the twins; at Hogwarts, which would make her around twenty-years-old. She was a fellow Gryffindor. We didn't have much interaction in school, but she comes to the shop a lot and we'd chat. She's really nice and _very_ beautiful. She was on the Quidditch team when Oliver was captain."

Thompson looked both relieved and pleased. Already she was the opposite of his ex-girlfriend and he hadn't even met her yet. But he trusted Hermione.

"She _loves_ Quidditch," Oliver nodded. Thomson's face split into a wide grin and Hermione and the twins laughed. "She was quite good, tae, from what a remember, she played Chaser an' could give ye lot a run fer yer galleons," he gestured to the Chasers around the table and they were amused by Thompson's reaction.

"We saw her a few weeks ago, actually," said Fred. "She works for the Ministry in the Magical Games and Sports Department."

"She's pretty smart, too, not as smart as us or Mia, of course, but she got five NEWTs," added George.

"We talked about the law and she told us that she'd received a letter telling her that she was eligible but they hadn't found her a match yet and she'd have to wait until they did," Fred told Thompson.

"Guess those charms and spells were waiting for _you_ to dump that troll of a girlfriend," George shrugged and everyone laughed or snorted. Thompson looked at Hermione hopefully.

"She'll be good for you, the _exact_ opposite of Jenny," she promised.

She conjured some pens and parchment and gave some to Thompson so he could write to Katie and she and Oliver penned a quick note explaining that Thompson was a good man and he would treat her well. When they'd finished, she called for Ali and sent her on her way with a bit of bacon in her mouth.

"You think it'll work? Like you and Wood?" He asked hopefully.

Hermione, the twins and Oliver shared a look. Hermione and Oliver were different from other matches and the golden band around their wrists proved it. She was surprised no one had mentioned them yet and it'd been two weeks since her wedding. Katie and Thompson wouldn't be like her and Oliver, but that didn't mean they couldn't work it out be happy.

"I think it could work if you put the effort in, the both of you. Oliver and I weren't kidding with what we said during the conference. Being forced to marry really was a blessing in disguise. It pushed us out of our comfort zones and forced us to get to know each other quickly. I suggest you date first to ease you both into it, but you only have about a week before the Ministry will pester you for a wedding date. You have three months, so up until December. You're lucky; you won't be in the middle of game season like we were. You can have a honeymoon," she said.

"What does she look like?" He asked curiously.

"Brown hair, brown eyes, about Hermione's height," Fred shrugged.

"George, you went to the Yule Ball with Katie didn't you?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"Oh, yeah, forgotten about that," he scratched at his chin thoughtfully.

"I think I saw some old photos when I was redoing the flat. Did you turn off the floo?"

"Ah, I knew we forgot to do something," Fred said sheepishly. Hermione glared and the twins laughed nervously.

"You said you'd be fine when I moved out".

"We are," they protested.

"You didn't turn the floo off! Anyone could've gotten into the apartment," she snapped.

"Don't be so dramatic," George rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, only those keyed into the floo can get in," Fred added.

"Wards can be _broken,_ " she growled, standing from her seat and storming to the floo.

"Yer playing with fire," Oliver told him.

"But she's so cute when she's all huffy," Fred pouted and Oliver snorted.

"Yer life yer putting on the line," Oliver held his hands up.

Hermione returned a few minutes later and sat down at the table, handing the photo she'd found to Thompson with everyone leaning closer to get a look in.

A smile tugged at Thompson's mouth, seeing her brown hair being styled into waves and falling to her shoulders, her dark eyes lined with mascara and eyeliner, red staining her lips, her features soft and kind much like Hermione's and her tanned skin working against the cotton candy pink ball gown.

"Bearing in mind, that photo was taken four years ago, and she's changed a bit. I told you not to worry about it," she smiled at him, her attention turning to everyone else. "Anyone else need my help?"

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Saturday 15th August 1998**

As the lunch hour arrived, Hermione and the team were perched on the stands, comfortably eating their lunch for the day when they were interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

Lifting their eyes, Rita Skeeter came to a stop before them all, her eyes spitting hate and her wand drawn, directed Hermione's way. And despite the current circumstances, laughter bubbled from each other. She had received Hermione's gift.

Her hair had been dyed a hideous neon green and it held patches of orange, she was covered in custard and whipped cream –courtesy of a Self-Propelling Custard Pie- _and_ , she had red skin, all from a new product Hermione had tested on her.

She'd created a potion that detected someone's mood, turning their skin to the colour that associated to that mood. Red was anger, yellow was happy, pink was in love, purple was lustful, blue was peaceful, green was jealous, dark blue was fearful, orange was stressed, and dark pink was hungry.

"Can I help you?" Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"You can reverse what you did to me!" Skeeter spat.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you. Maybe you should be looking for someone else you pissed off. I imagine you have a list bigger than the Great Wall of China."

"You will pay for this, you bitch!" She snarled.

Before a spell left her mouth, Hermione raised her hand. Skeeter was propelled backwards until she hit the ground, skidding to a stop. Not noticing of Oliver's proud expression and the teams' surprised expressions, Hermione rose to her feet, drew her wand and calmly conjured her Patronus before she sent it off to the Ministry.

Skeeter climbed back to her feet, brushed down her robes and stalked towards Hermione with Quaffle barking madly, preparing to lunge for Skeeter.

"Quaffle, sit," Hermione instructed softly, her eyes remaining focused on the furious reporter at his barks quieted. "You're in enough trouble as it is, Skeeter, don't go digging yourself a deeper hole," she warned.

Skeeter snarled before throwing a hex, something Hermione sidestepped before she ducked the next one.

"I'm getting annoyed," Hermione warned. Thankfully, the Aurors arrived, one hitting Skeeter with a Stunner.

"Mrs. Wood, I am Auror Hills, the Deputy Head of the Law Enforcement Department."

"It's nice to officially meet you," Hermione greeted.

"I can say the same about you," Auror Hills replied. He was quite handsome with striking green eyes, shaggy blonde hair and a blinding white smile. "Minister Shacklebolt has informed me that you wish to share some information regarding Miss. Skeeter."

"Oh, yes, I know how she gathers information on her _victims_." The team chuckled at the choice of word. "Miss. Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus."

Auror Hill arched an eyebrow. "Do you happen to know what form she takes?"

"A beetle with markings around the eyes where her glasses would be," Hermione answered. "You can add it to the list of criminal offences she has already committed."

"Along with attempted assault," Oliver added, coming to stand beside her.

"Miss. Skeeter will stand trial, but given her transgressions, it is likely she will be sentenced to prison time," Auror Hills told them.

"I suggest you put Anti-Animagi wards around Azkaban to stop her from escaping," she said. He nodded in agreement.

"I have proof the bitch is an unregistered Animagus," Skeeter said, having been released from the Stunner so she might be transported to a holding cell.

"Is that true, Mrs. Wood? That is a serious offence," Auror Hills' brow furrowed. Oliver held his breath.

"No, I _am_ an Animagus but I am a registered one, you may check with Minister Shacklebolt," Hermione replied. The team looked to her in surprise, as did Oliver, though for an entirely different reason.

"One last thing, Miss. Skeeter has made several reports against you, claiming that you have been terrorising her."

"It wasn't me," she denied. "Given my profession, I don't have the time to waste on something so insignificant. It could've been anyone, I imagine there are plenty of people that would want to get revenge for her articles."

"She is adamant that it is you, Mrs. Wood."

"She has no proof," she stated.

He snorted before taking his leave, ensuring that Skeeter was properly detained as she was escorted through the building and to the floo network. He had no doubt that she was the one terrorising Skeeter, but he also knew he wouldn't find any evidence that it was her, the case would be filed as unsolved.

"You're an Animagus?" Thompson questioned in surprise.

"Yes, I have been since my fifth year."

"Ye told mae ye _weren't_ registered," Oliver quirked an eyebrow.

"At the time I wasn't, but I had a feeling Skeeter had been watching us for a while and I knew that it was likely she'd discover my secret, so I wrote to Kingsley and got myself registered, however, less than a handful of people will be privy to the information."

"What's your form?" Pallie asked curiously.

Hermione stepped back from Oliver, leaned down slowly and where Hermione once stood, now stood a lioness. Their eyes widened.

"Whoa!"

"Fitting," Thompson said with a laugh once she'd changed back to human form.

"Ye told mae twa weeks ago tha' ye'd stop terrorising Skeeter," Oliver said amusedly.

"I thought about it and then I changed my mind," she shrugged.

"How'd you know she was an unregistered Animagus?" Bishop asked.

"I figured it out my fourth year. I set a trap for her once I learned her secret. I kept her in Animagus form and trapped in a glass jar for a few weeks."

"You scare me sometimes," Thompson admitted with a mutter. Hermione grinned at their horrified expressions.

 _Let's see them defy my orders now,_ she thought.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 16

**Wood Apartment - Monday 17th August 1998**

"I'm exhausted," Hermione sighed as she stepped out of the floo, opened the balcony for Quaffle and made her way to their bedroom.

They'd just returned from the Burrow where Percy and Audrey had just gotten married. It had been a simple ceremony with the traditional wedding vows. Bill had been Percy's best man and Audrey's best friend had been her bridesmaid. Audrey made a beautiful bride with her ivory lace mermaid tail gown, her minimal makeup and her hair styled in waves. The reception was held at the Burrow and there were fewer guests than there had been at Hermione and Oliver's wedding, given that they'd invited the entire team and their partners, and they'd been expected to invite reporters to cover the event as they were the 'poster children' for the Marriage Law. Several hours after the reception had started, Percy and Audrey left for their honeymoon and the guests left, with Hermione, the Woods and the Weasleys staying behind to help clean up.

"It's been a long day," Oliver agreed, tiredly falling onto the bed.

Not only had he attended training, but he'd had to quickly dress and floo over to the Burrow, arriving just before the ceremony began. He wasn't entirely certain of the time, just that it was past midnight and he and Hermione were expected at the stadium within a few hours. They'd both have to ingest Invigoration Draughts if they wished to remain awake.

Hermione kicked off her heels before doing the same, falling beside him. "At least you don't have to walk around in heels; I don't even know why I bother with Cushioning Charms. The only one that seems to work is the Balancing Charm and for that I'm grateful, I'd rather spend my night on aching feet than with my face on the floor."

He laughed at her. "Twa more weeks an' then the season's over an' we get a well deserved twa months aff."

Hermione turned and looked at him. "You're actually happy to have a break from Quidditch?" She arched a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Aye, twa months af late mornings in bed an' sex in ev'ry room," he grinned/

She rolled her eyes. "Well, for the first week of September I'll be spending my days at the Ministry taking my NEWTs," she reminded. "Not to mention, Thompson's still living with us until November."

He scowled at the reminder before saying, "What NEWTs are ye goin' fer again?"

"Arithmancy, potions, transfiguration, ancient runes, care of magical creatures, muggle studies, astronomy, history of magic, charms, herbology and defence against the dark arts." he turned to face her and stared.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, "Naw wonder yer always studying... But anno ye'll get top marks, ye don' need tae study."

"I hope you're right," she sighed.

"Do ye know where Thompson is?" Oliver asked, knowing he wasn't in the apartment. Not only hadn't he seen him, but Quaffle hadn't moved to greet him no matter the time or what room he might be in.

"He's on his first date with Katie, given the time, it must be going well," Hermione said and Oliver nodded. "I hope things work out for him," she sighed, "He deserves to be happy."

"Am sure things will. Yer the best thing tha's happened tae the team. Not only are ye kicking our arses intae shape but yer helping them in their personal lives, tae, an' despite hoo hard we try tae keep our personal an' professional lives separate, one always bleeds intae the other. If we're unhappy in our personal lives, it affects the way we play," he said, reaching out to push her hair back from her face and behind her ear.

She smiled at him. "Rule sixteen, if you have the ability and facilities to help someone, you should," she reminded. "By the way, I know the final match for the cup isn't until the 31st of August, but I've been following the other teams as all good Coaches should..." He chuckled at her, completely unsurprised by the revelation. "At the moment, we're first in the league, the favourite to win. The Appleby Arrows are in second, the Montrose Magpies in third, the Caerphilly Catapults in fourth and the Falmouth Falcons are in fifth. However, there's only _one_ point between us and the Arrows," she warned and Oliver blinked slowly.

When had that happened?

"So far, we've played the Ballycastle Bats, Falmouth Falcons, Montrose Magpies, Wimbourne Wasps, Holyhead Harpies, Kenmare Kestrels, Chudley Cannons, Barnton _and_ Yorkshire," she listed easily. He blinked again. "Our next match is against the Tutshill Tornadoes, followed by Wigtown Wanders, Banchory Bangers and Lancashire. After those matches, the scores will be tallied and the two teams with the highest scores go through to the Final."

"What're the scores so far?"

"Well, as I said, we're in first place since we've won all nine matches. The Arrows have played more matches than we have, but we've won more matches than they have which puts us in the lead. We just have to either hold onto first place or fall to second to get to the Final."

Oliver grinned. "Easy," he said confidently and she chuckled. "Now, a wanna ravish me beautiful wife."

"Oh really?" She questioned amusedly.

He nodded. "Aye, jus' not here; a've somewhere else in mind."

Standing from the bed, he dragged Hermione into the living area, penned a quick note to Thompson telling him they'd be back by breakfast, called Quaffle and put him in the floo and sent him off beforehand. Hermione made to get her shoes but Oliver shook his head, stopping her.

"We're apparating, tha's why a sent Quaffle ahead."

Before Hermione could reply, he pulled his wand and apparated them out of the apartment.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Manor**

They landed in a hallway and Hermione looked around in confusion.

"We're at Wood Manor; me parents have gone away fer a few days."

"Why did you bring me here? How did we apparate? Where's Quaffle?"

"He's around the manor somewhere; he'll find us when he's done exploring, at the very least, the elves will keep an eye on him," he shrugged. "A apparated us 'coz a can now. Now tha' yer a Wood, the manor's wards will allow ye access an' ye can apparate instead af using the floo. It's a lot quicker as we can apparate tae any room we wish, rather than having tae floo over an' walk through the manor. An' a brought ye here 'coz a wanted tae give ye something."

Before she could speak, he set his hands on her waist and gently encouraged her to turn around, coming face to face with a dark wooden door.

"Open it," he whispered in her ear in encouragement, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck before nudging her forward.

Reaching out, she twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping inside. Her eyes darting about her surroundings, she saw it was a bedroom. The walls were Puddlemere blue and flooring with a light wood effect lay beneath her feet. On the back wall, sat a king-sized bed with blue and white bedding, a white bedside table sat to the right and there was a white rectangular rug before it. A white cotton couch sat in the middle of the room with a dark coffee table before it, on the left wall, were two bay windows with yellow cushions and a bookshelf in between the windows, filled with school and Quidditch books. On the right wall, there was a white desk and chair and a door that led to the bathroom and another led to the walk-in wardrobe. There were Quidditch posters covering the walls and a framed and signed Quidditch jersey from the Keeper of Puddlemere a few decades ago.

Hermione smiled and a laugh left her.

"Now, _this_ is Oliver Wood's bedroom," she commented and he chuckled at her. "But I still understand why we're here."

Oliver crossed to her and put his arms around her waist, pulling her to him and he backed them up until Hermione's legs hit the bed and she fell backwards with a laugh. They made their way up the bed until Hermione's head hit the pillows and he was leaning over her on his elbows.

"A wanted tae give ye something, something tha' only ye will get."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ye gave mae something tha' a will always remember." Seeing her confused stare, he smiled. "Ye gave mae yer virginity." She didn't blush, just continued to stare at him. "An' 'coz a couldn't give ye mine, a thought a would give ye something else instead." She cocked her eyebrow. "Yer the first girl in this room, well, besides me ma, af course."

She laughed at him.

"And what exactly do you plan to do here tonight?" She asked and the answering grin he gave made her laugh and he leaned down and kissed her neck, effectively stopping her laughter and he smirked as she hummed, her hands threading through his hair.

~000~000~000~

Hermione and Oliver were cuddled under the blanket, she had her head on his chest and her fingers were tracing the sparrow tattoo over his heart whilst his hand was resting on her stomach, his fingers tracing her phoenix tattoo.

"First crush?" Oliver asked.

"I was nine, his name was Peter Johns. He had blonde curly hair and bright green eyes. He went to my muggle school but he was a bully so I quickly got over it. You?"

"A was twelve an' it was the mother af one af me friends from Hogwarts." She snorted. "Tell mae something funny ye did as a child."

She took a moment to think before answering with, "When I was seven, I was in the park reading a book and I heard some of the other kids playing truth or dare. One boy walked over to me and he sat down next to me and he leaned over to kiss me. I panicked and punched him in the nose and ran off."

Oliver burst into laughter.

"Tha' is _the_ best thing a've ev'r heard!" He exclaimed and Hermione pushed away from him, sitting up and holding the blanket in place.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault," she protested. "When you're seven-years-old, boys have cooties and when one tries to kiss you, it's the end of the world!" He laughed louder and soon her mouth was twitching and she laughed, too. "It's your turn."

"Hogwarts, me first year, we were in our flying lesson. Af course, a could already fly very well befere a started Hogwarts, an' a was flying around when a got distracted by something, a hippogriff had gotten loose an' it flew over me head. A moved oot af the way but a lost me balance an' fell aff me broom. Luckily, a landed in the Black Lake."

Hermione stared at him. " _How_ is that funny?"

"It was hilarious," he assured her, waving off her concerned expression. "Madam Hooch worked herself intae a right tizzy an' she flew over tae mae, losing her balance an' she fell aff her broom an' landed in the Black Lake, as well. But, the Giant Squid had already rescued mae. He picked mae up an' took mae towards the shoreline. By the time Madam Hooch fell in the water, a was already on land," he grinned, Hermione finally seeing the humour in the situation, laughed.

"I knew the Giant Squid was kind," Hermione commented.

"How?"

"Whenever I was upset at something that Harry or Ron did, I wouldn't go to the library like they thought I did, I would go to the Black Lake. The Giant Squid would be playing and splashing about and it always made me laugh. It would come closer to the shoreline and I would find a stick or transfigure one and throw it into the lake. He would find it and bring it back to me."

"The Giant Squid plays _fetch_?" He spluttered.

Hermione nodded. " _Loves_ it, once we played for four hours. He was so happy and I felt bad, so I guilt-tripped myself into staying and playing with him."

"A think it's time ye followed through on a promise ye made mae," Oliver said.

"Hmmm?"

"Ye promised ye would let mae teach ye tae fly." Hermione stiffened beside him. "What are ye afraid aff?"

"Falling," she answered without needing to think.

"Do ye honestly believe a would let ye fall?"

"No," she admitted. "No, I don't."

Grinning, he climbed from the bed and pulled on his underwear, trousers and shirt before slipping on his socks and shoes. Hermione climbed out of bed, slipped on her underwear and her dress and then Oliver removed something from his trouser pocket, took Hermione's hand and apparated them out of the manor and to the lake.

He removed the Shrinking Charm and held his broom in his hand before releasing it, it hovered in the air as he stepped over it. He held his hand out to Hermione and his heart clenched at her expression of fear, terror. A look he had never seen before.

"A won't let ye fall," he promised softly.

Hermione closed her eyes; she knew he was telling her the truth, and so, she pushed her fear down and placed her hand in his. She stepped over the broom and it hovered higher so they were both sat on it. Her breathing sped up. Oliver pulled her closer to him so her back was against his chest, he kept one arm firmly lodged around her stomach, holding her to him, and then he leaned forward and held the broom handle with his free hand.

"Take a deep breath," he said against her ear before he kissed her neck and then kicked off the ground. Hermione's breathing became erratic and he held her tighter, halting to a stop when he reached fifty feet above ground. "Calm doon, Sparrow, yer not gonna fall... Even if ye did, ye'd land in the lake or a'd catch ye first." He placed butterfly kisses on her neck and her breathing began to slow under his touch. "Yer not scared af heights, so open yer eyes," he encouraged. "Yer missing the view af what's ours."

"What do you mean?" She whispered, her eyes closed tightly and her hands tightly holding onto his arm that was slotted around her stomach.

"Wood Manor belongs tae us, jus' as it belongs tae me parents. When they pass, it will be left tae us an' our family. We can move in now or anytime we want. We can even live in the apartment fer the rest af our lives but Wood Manor will always be ours," he said softly. "Open yer eyes an' see what is ours."

Taking a steady breath, she slowly peeled her eyes open, a gasp of awe falling from her lips. The grounds were huge, bigger than she thought, than she'd realised. From their vantage point, she could see woods, the lake, the meadow, a small Quidditch pitch, what looked to be stables and large grassy areas surrounding the beautiful white manor that sat in the middle of it all.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"An' it's ours," he said and she could feel him smiling as he kissed her neck. "An' we're just in time"

"For what?"

"Sunrise," he muttered, lifting his arm and pointing into the distance.

Hermione leaned into him and he wrapped his other arm around her and silence fell around them as they watched the sunrise.

"I love you," Hermione muttered.

Oliver's heart swelled. "A love ye," he replied. Hermione smiled. "This is another first a can give ye."

"Hmmm?"

"Yer the first girl a've ev'r taken flying."

"Why don't I believe that?" She snorted.

He chuckled. "Yer not the first girl a've _taught_ tae fly, but ye are the first a've taken flying. Yer the first relationship a've had. Yer the first person a've told a love besides me parents. Yer the first an' only girl a'll ev'r be in love with. Yer the first girl a've brought tae the manor. Yer the first girl tae meet me parents. Yer the first girl tae see me apartment an' tae move in with mae. Yer the first tae have seen me bedroom an' yer the first a've made love tae."

"Not sex?" Her eyebrow rose.

"It's not sex with ye, yer different. A love ye, so a make love tae ye." Hermione leaned back into him further and smiled. "Yer've gotten a lot af me firsts, whether ye realise it or not," he admitted.

"You've had a lot of mine, too. You're the first person I have told everything to, and I mean _everything_. I've told you more than I have the twins. You're the first and only man I will be in love with."

"Ron?"

She shook her head. "No, that was just a crush in third and fourth year, I never loved him that way," she answered. "You're the first man I've allowed to touch me so intimately and that I've allowed to break down my defences. You're the first man to fill me with confidence and make me _feel_ beautiful and loved. You're the first man to take me on a date, I gave you my virginity and you're the first man to get me on a broom, a feat I never thought possible."

"Ye feeling okay, being up here?" He checked.

"Hmm, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, but I think that's because of you. If I was up here with anyone else I'd be screeching like a banshee."

He chuckled at her. "Do ye wanna have a fly around the grounds?"

"I trust you," she nodded and he beamed a smile.

He put his left hand back on the broom handle and raised them to one hundred feet before leaning forward slightly and putting on a burst of speed and they flew forward. Hermione yelped before a laugh of delight left her, carrying in the wind.

They flew around the grounds for what felt like hours and before Oliver flew them over to the meadow where there was a large wooden treehouse. They dismounted the broom and Oliver let Hermione climb the ladder first, something she knew he'd done s0 he might sneak a peek up her dress.

When she pushed the hatch open and climbed in, her eyes scanned her surroundings. She'd seen the treehouse before and she knew that Oliver and his father built it together, but this was the first time she had been inside it. The wood hadn't been painted but left the same dark-grey colour. There was a queen-sized bed on the back wall with blue bedding and a blue rug sat beneath the wooden bed frame. A blue cotton couch, a dark wooden coffee table and two armchairs were position on the other side of the treehouse, with a bookshelf that sat wizarding games and magazines.

"So, this is where you'd escape to?"

"Aye, when me friends visited fer the summer when a was younger, we would get sleeping bags an' sleep on the floor an' stay oot here all day an' all night." She laughed at him. "An' do ye know what?" He asked, backing her up towards the bed.

"What?"

"Yer the first girl in here, not even me ma was allowed in. It was the golden rule. No girls allowed." She laughed at his grin and fell backwards on the bed and he followed after her. "So, ye know what tha' means?"

"Hmmm?"

"Twa more firsts fer ye," he whispered against her lips before kissing her soundly.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Tuesday 18th August 1998**

Hermione, Oliver and Quaffle floo'd into the apartment and Hermione immediately set to work making breakfast. Just as she was about to place the plates on the table, Thompson walked into the kitchen, scratched Quaffle on the head and then took a seat.

"Morning, Woods," he greeted and Hermione chuckled.

"Morning, Thompson" Oliver and Hermione chimed and Quaffle barked.

"Where did you disappear to yesterday?" Thompson asked as Hermione took a seat at the table and sipped at her tea.

"Wood Manor, me parents are away," Oliver shrugged.

Thompson raised an eyebrow. "Fulfilling some weird sexual fantasy, eh?" He said amused.

Hermione watched Oliver's expression, seeing that it remained passive.

"Oh, Merlin, he's right, isn't he?" She questioned, mortified.

Oliver's face broke into a grin. "Aye," he confirmed, both he and Thompson sharing a laugh at her expression of disbelief.

"What was it? Your bedroom? Your bathroom? Your treehouse?"

Thompson whistled. "Bloody hell, Woods, you've been a busy witch and wizard." Hermione picked up a piece of bacon and threw it at him. It bounced off his head and in response, he picked it up and took a bite. "Thanks, I wanted more bacon," he winked, Hermione scowled and Oliver laughed.

"All af the above," Oliver answered in amusement with Thompson barking out a laugh and clapping him on the back.

"Thompson, how was your date with Katie?" Hermione questioned, turning the topic of conversation away from them. He was unable to keep the grin from his face and so she knew it had gone well. "You like her," she stated knowingly.

He nodded and grinned like an idiot.

"You were right, she's _nothing_ like Jenny. She's really nice and we talked for hours. I've learned a lot about her. Did you know she was offered a place on the Holyhead Harpies but turned them down because she wanted to make changes to the league rather than play for it?"

Oliver and Hermione shared a knowing, amused glance, biting their lips to keep from laughing at him.

"And her birthday's in November, her favourite colour's crimson-red, she's scared of slugs, she doesn't like the smell of lavender and her favourite sweet's acid pops. And to top it off, she knew what position I play on the team."

The dam broke and Oliver and Hermione burst into sniggers as Thompson grew more excited, his voice rose in pitch.

"I told you it would work out for you, you just have to have faith," said Hermione and Thompson beamed at her.

"So far, so good," he nodded.

"Ye'll have at least one Quidditch wife tha' likes ye," Oliver snorted.

"Hmmm, maybe I should rescue her before she meets them. We can start our own anti-wives and girlfriends club since we both like Quidditch and we both know the difference between a Beater's bat and the Keeper's hoops," she mused.

"Hoo long until ye bring her tae meet the team?" Oliver asked Thompson.

"I'm not sure; I don't want to scare her off yet," his brow furrowed in concern.

"She used to play, she can handle it," Hermione assured him. "Besides, she's quite feisty," she commented and Oliver nodded in agreement. "I haven't seen her since the week before I moved out of the twins' flat. She used to come to the shop all the time, she and her brother are always trying to outdo each other with pranks and she always asked for my advice."

"Yours and not the twins?" Thompson arched an eyebrow.

"Hmmm," she hummed.

Thompson looked at her appraisingly and she smiled innocently which Oliver snorted at, knowing how misleading a smile it was.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Wednesday 19th August 1998**

"THOMPSON, THAT WAS RUBBISH!" Hermione yelled. "MY GRANDMA HAS BETTER REFLEXES THAN THAT AND SHE'S BEEN DEAD AND BURIED FOR TEN YEARS!" The team burst into laughter from their places on the pitch. "MALLOY, ATTEMPT TO FOUL ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL BENCH YOU FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE NOT PLAYING IN THE MATCH THIS AFTERNOON!" She warned. The team laughed at his expression of disbelief. "WILKS, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HIT THE BLUDGER, NOT YOURSELF!" The team laughed louder and harder. "OLIVER, GET THE TEAM UNDER CONTROL!" Hermione instructed, frustrated.

"ALRIGHT, GET BACK TAE WORK OR YER DOIN' FIVE HUNDRED LAPS! IN THE AIR AN' ON FOOT!" Oliver bellowed, his voice carrying in the wind and the team were quick to calm down from their fit of laughter and return to their training and drills for the morning.

Hermione rubbed her temples and stared at the clipboard that hovered before her. She was frustrated.

She was on her own that day; Quaffle was at the shop with the twins and Coach Burton had a family emergency. He'd left her to deal with the team by herself and on the day of the Tutshill Tornadoes match, too! The team was purposely annoying her and Hermione found a new form of respect for Coach Burton for dealing with the team for years on his own. She didn't know how he did it. It had barely been a couple of hours and she wanted to strangle each and every one of them, her husband included.

Particularly Malloy and his endless taunts and innuendoes since Thompson had told the team about their conversation regarding Oliver's sexual fantasies that morning and she pledged to prank him for revenge.

She was going over plays, trying to find the perfect use for them for the upcoming match but knowing that her plan would likely change during the match itself. Resting her arms on the railing as she leaned forward, her attention was on the clipboard before her, when she heard the sound of a bludger whizzing through the wind and it was heading her way. Instinctively, she drew her wand and lifted her gaze, flicking her wrist, preventing the bludger from colliding with her face with millimetres between them. That was too close for comfort.

"SORRY, HERMIONE!" Kings called.

She sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and then rolled her eyes. The team were all in shock at how close it had been to colliding with her and they quietly waited for her response, unsure of her reaction. It could go one of two ways. One good and the other, very, _very_ bad.

"IT'S OKAY, KINGS!" Hermione yelled.

It wasn't the team's fault that she was so frustrated, even if they were winding her up and she realised that she shouldn't be taking it out on them. It was game day, they were always a little bit more annoying than usual, Hermione having learned it was their way of dealing with the nerves and pressure.

"JUST BE MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME AND FOCUS. REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU, IMAGINE THE BLUDGER'S SOMEONE YOU HATE AND DON'T HOLD BACK!"

She flicked her wrist and the bludger zoomed back onto the pitch and towards Kings.

She saw him swing his bat and it collided with the bludger, sending it straight towards Thompson. He ducked just before it hit him.

"GREAT HIT, KINGS!" She called encouragingly. "THOMPSON, IMAGINE THE BLUDGERS ARE YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN AND YOU HAVE TO DODGE HER 'CAUSE SHE'S MORE LOONEY THAN THE LOONEY TUNES!" She heard the team laughing. "IMAGINE IT'S MARY, OLIVER'S GIRLFRIEND, BECAUSE THAT WOMAN'S CRAZY ENOUGH FOR THE _BOTH_ OF YOU! HELL, SHE'S CRAZY ENOUGH FOR THE _WHOLE_ TEAM. CHANGE OF PLANS! EVERYONE, IMAGINE THAT THE BLUDGERS ARE MARY!"

The team roared with laughter, throwing teasing comments towards Oliver whilst Hermione smiled to herself and turned her attention back to her clipboard. Once ten minutes had passed and she'd allowed them a small reprieve from their drills, she ordered them to calm down and refocus.

They trained for another forty-five minutes before Hermione called them down from the air, so she might explain to them the game plan for the match later that day. When done, she allowed them a fifteen minute break so she could head to her office to use the bathroom and retrieve her research on the Tornadoes' players.

As she entered the building, she ran into the girlfriends.

"What did you do to Jenny?" Hannah snarled.

"Nothing, why?"

"Because we haven't seen her..."

"What?" Hermione interrupted. "Since I turned her hair into snakes? You should have left it that way, it was an improvement," Hermione said sweetly. "She's probably embarrassed. Thompson broke off the engagement. He realised that he could do better and now he's been matched by the Ministry. His new _fiancé_ is very beautiful, kind _and_ she has a job. She pays for her own belongings," Hermione smiled before walking away, intending to continue towards her office.

" _Diffindo,_ " she heard someone say and she moved out of the way and the spell whizzed over her shoulder. Hermione stopped and whirled around with her wand in hand.

She whispered a spell and a green beam of light shot out of the tip and hit Hannah in the chest. Before everyone's eyes, Hannah's skin turned green and she screamed before sound escaped her and she disappeared. Hermione looked down and she saw that the spell had worked. She had turned Hannah into a snake.

Hermione remembered that Professor McGonagall always used to say human transfiguration shouldn't be used as a punishment, but in this case, she felt it justified. Satisfied, she left the corridor and quickly headed to her office, using the bathroom and then retrieving the file containing the compiled information she's collected on the Tornadoes.

As she returned to the coach's box, she sniggered when she came across the girlfriends shrieking and jumping from foot to foot as the snake slithered around the floor.

"Hannah, you're banned from the stadium. When the spell wears off, collect your belongings and remove yourself, otherwise, I will have to call security to escort you off the premises," said Hermione, barely sparing her a glance as she passed them.

When she reached the team, they were all watching her cautiously and Oliver recognised that smile. She'd done something.

" _What_ did ye do?" He asked her carefully, knowingly.

She smiled innocently. "It was self-defence," she promised. He cocked a questioning eyebrow at her statement. "Hannah was pissed that Thompson isn't marrying Jenny and she didn't like that I helped him. She tried to hex me when my back was turned, so, I turned her into a snake."

"A SNAKE?!" The team chorused.

Hermione nodded. "I don't like sneaks."

"What's tha' got tae do with snakes?" Oliver asked, amused.

"Slytherins. Surely you remember they're sneaky bastards whose emblem happens to be a serpent." He snorted. "If you listen carefully, you can hear their screams."

They strained their hearing but they could faintly hear squeals and screams and they snorted, shaking their heads.

"She's also banned from the stadium," she added with a smile. "Merlin, they're dropping like flies... Anyway, I've done my research on the Tornadoes. Keepers, their Chasers are sneaky; they tend to do the opposite of what you assume they're going to do. Trust me on this; if they aim left, they're going right." Oliver nodded with a proud smile "Chasers, their Beaters have _very_ good swings but their aim's rubbish, kind of like our Beaters before I whipped you into shape." They mock glared at her and the others laughed when she smiled sweetly. "Beaters, their Chasers are quick but they're rubbish at dodging bludgers _and_ at sharp turns. Seekers, their Seeker's clumsy when flying but he's fast. That's the main points but I'll fill you in on the rest later. Right now you need to continue with your drills; we have a match in less than five hours"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'VE DONE THIS TO ME!" All eyes lifted, being surprised to see Jenny storming down the stands and towards them, her features pinched and unhappy. "YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE TO THE MINISTRY AND TELL THEM THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!"

Hermione snorted.

"Still as delusional as ever, I see," she remarked.

"MARCUS FLINT! THAT'S MY MATCH!" She screeched.

Hermione and Oliver looked to each other before they both burst into laughter, the team looking to them in both confusion and amusement.

"What's so funny?" Thompson asked confused, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Marcus Flint," they both gasped out through their laughter, Hermione reaching up to wipe the tears that fell from her eyes.

Taking a breath and smoothing her hands over her stomach, she calmed before saying, "Karma always comes around. A hideous human being for a hideous witch and I don't mean that in the magical sense. Now, leave, you are _not_ permitted to be on these premises."

In response, Jenny released a shriek of outrage and drew her wand but Hermione rolled her eyes and cast a Stunner, hitting the outraged witch in the chest. Security was called and after being reprimanded for allowing the witch entrance, Jenny was escorted out of the building by the chastised wizards, the team sniggering at their downcast eyes refusing to look at Hermione and their pink cheeks.

"Right, back to work," she clapped her hands together as if nothing had just happened.

They nodded, grabbed their brooms and took flight, gathering in a circle.

"She's doing well as Coach for the day," Pallie commented and Oliver smiled proudly.

"After a few more days by herself, she'll be a pro at bein' Coach," he replied.

"Who said she was going to be Coach?" Malloy arched an eyebrow.

"Coach did," Oliver shrugged. "He mentioned it when he hired her, said she would be promoted tae Assistant Coach if she proved herself. An' when he retires, if he thinks she could handle it, she'd take over as Head Coach."

~000~000~000~

Thirty minutes later, Hermione was observing each member of the team carefully, her eyes flittering about and landing on Thompson, seeing that he'd barely avoided a bludger.

"THOMPSON, FORGET WHAT I SAID ABOUT MARY. SHE'S OBVIOUSLY NOT AFFECTING YOUR FIGHT OR FLIGHT REFLEX. IMAGINE THE BLUDGER'S JENNY!" She instructed, a laugh falling from her when he soon dodged a second bludger, faster than he'd done so far. "NICE DODGE!" She complimented. "WILKS, YOU'RE GETTING BETTER AT YOUR AIM, TRY TO FIND A BALANCE ON YOUR BROOM SO YOU CAN HIT THE BLUDGER WITH THE FORCE YOU NEED WITHOUT FALLING!"

"THANKS, HERMIONE!" Thompson and Wilks called back as one.

"OLIVER, YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN! REMEMBER YOUR SURROUNDINGS!" She warned.

"ON IT, SPARROW!" He replied.

"THOMPSON?!" She called.

"WHAT?!"

"COME HERE!" She instructed, patiently waiting until he was floating by the railing of the coach's box. She rolled her eyes and snorted when he leaned forward, put his arms across the railing and bent his head to rest his chin against his arms, making him eye level with her.

"Yes, my wonderful roommate," he grinned.

"I want you to practice the Wronski Feint. Not only is it a good defensive tactic but Coach and I have been in contact with the board of members that run the league. During the training season, teams from all around the world will be having charity and practice matches. Which means we will be playing not only teams from the United Kingdom, but from around the world, too," she explained. His eyes lit up. "And I'm sure the board will instigate a match between us and the Vratsa Vultures."

"Why would they pit us against the Bulgarian National Team?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

"Viktor," she shrugged.

A look of understanding lit his face.

"The Wronski Feint 's Krum's speciality," he pointed out.

"I know and I want you to master it. Teach Viktor that someone can be a better Seeker than him. He's got a huge ego and he needs taking down a peg or two."

"It's the _National_ Team. They're going to be better than us."

"They didn't win the World Cup," she deadpanned and he snorted at her.

"What did he do to you? I know you dated."

"He just wasn't very respectful of my wishes. He kept pressuring me and wouldn't back off."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He questioned, eyeing her carefully.

Knowing exactly what he meant by that question, she said, "Not in that way, no," she shook her head. "But I honestly wouldn't put it past him. The few times I thought he was going to we were luckily always interrupted."

"Does Wood know? That he wasn't above..."

"No, and don't tell him. If we do go up against his team, something I believe is highly likely given our history, I don't want him flying off his broom handle and doing something stupid."

Thompson nodded and cleared his throat. "So, I learn to master the Wronski Feint and kick Krum's arse?"

Hermione laughed. "Essentially, yes. I have faith in you; you're a much better Seeker than you think you are. You're up there with the best of them," she complimented and he beamed. "First, though," she summoned a golf ball from her office and held it in front of his face, "Fancy a game of catch the levitated golf ball?"

His mouth twitched into a smile. "What do I get if I win?"

A thoughtful expression appeared before she said, "If you win, you can eat my digestive biscuits"

Anyone else would've laughed and scoffed at such a prize but Thompson wasn't an idiot. He lived with Hermione, he'd learned the rules and he knew _not_ to touch her digestive biscuits unless he fancied himself a trip to St. Mungo's. She was terrifying protective of the biscuits, of all things, and the opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Deal," he agreed, shaking on it.

"You have a time limit of fifteen minutes, my arm will fall off, otherwise."

"One levitated golf ball coming up," he said confidently.

Returning to the pitch, Hermione cast a timer in the air that showed Thompson he had fifteen minutes, and seeing this, the team all halted in their tasks, knowing what was about to happen as Hermione and Thompson played this game often. Thompson, however, had yet to win.

Hermione levitated the golf ball onto the pitch and the moment the timer began, she controlled its movements. She made it fly higher before dropping towards the ground, before bringing back up and going left, circling back around and then going right. She had it float around Thompson's head teasingly and the team laughed and cheered on Thompson. She had it float in-between each team member, forcing Thompson to swerve and dive in-between them.

He reached his hand out to catch it but before his hand closed around the golf ball, Hermione suddenly dropped it, forcing Thompson into a dive. The team groaned and booed in disappointed before cheering Thompson on once more.

Hermione brought the golf ball back up before dropping it again, repeating the action over and over again until it made a waving motion, forcing Thompson to follow the path of quick, sharp movements.

The fifteen minutes were almost up.

"TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE..." The team counted down in chorus. "FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!"

Thompson threw his arm out, snapping his fingers closed and halting his broom to a sharp stop, so sharp, he nearly toppled headfirst. And as the timer rang out, signalling the end, the team burst into an uproar of cheers and applause. Thompson opened his closed fist to see the golf ball in his hand, staring down at it in disbelief before a startled fell from his lips, it being drowned out by the loud cheers of his teammates as they crowded him, clapping him on the back.

In the time since Hermione had been the Junior Coach, she and Thompson had played that game fourteen times. In that moment, Thompson had claimed his first win. It was the first time he'd beaten her.

Flying down to the coach's box, he cleared his throat and smugly handed Hermione the golf ball.

"For you, Junior Coach."

She allowed him calling her that to slip given his current victory, and she snorted before reaching into her beaded bag and drawing back with two large packets of digestive biscuits in her grasp, holding them out to him.

"I told you I had faith in you," she smiled.

He stared at her shocked that she actually had them _with_ her.

Giving his head a shake, he grinned. "Thanks," he took them from her. "One Wronski Feint coming up," he promised, flying off and to the gathered team, Hermione laughing at their cheers upon seeing his prize for his victory.

If she'd know they'd get so excited over biscuits, she'd bribe them every day.

After the biscuits had been shared out and eaten, they'd returned to their drills without argument.

"PALLIE, YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN. TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THE LEFT HOOP!" Called Hermione.

"SORRY, I'LL WORK ON IT!" He yelled in reply.

"OLIVER, DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE AND SLAP YOU!" She threatened with the team laughing. "YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND YOU! IF YOU GET HIT BY A BLUDGER, I'LL BAT BOGEY YOU!"

"AM WORKING ON IT!"

"WELL WORK HARDER!" She fired back. Sighing, her attention was brought to Bishop. "BISHOP, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT FOULING?!"

"YOU WERE TALKING TO MALLOY!" He sang.

"DON'T BE A SMART ARSE, IT APPLIES TO _EVERYONE_! YOU'LL BE BENCHED FROM TODAY'S GAME IF YOU CARRY ON. DON'T TEMPT ME!" She heard them laughing and rolled her eyes. "KINGS?!"

"WHAT?!"

"DO ME A FAVOUR AND FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON BISHOP!"

"MY PLEASURE!"

The laughter grew louder and she saw Bishop quickly duck as a bludger whizzed over his head.

Tipping her head backwards, "Merlin, give me the strength to get through today without killing them," she begged.

Someone stepped up behind her.

Two hands gripped onto the railing either side of her, muscled arms caging her in and a broad chest pressed up against her back. Her body froze still and her breathing halted. She didn't need to look behind her to see who it was; she already knew.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 17

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Wednesday 19th August 1998**

"That's my Herm-own-ninny..." He muttered by her ear. "You alvays know how to take charge."

The moment his breath ghosted over her skin and lips pressed to her neck, something inside her snapped. She pushed back against him, taking him by surprise and when he stepped back, she ducked under his arm and stepped out of reach, turning to face him.

"Viktor," said Hermione, doing her best to keep her expression blank and her voice calm, disinterested. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her, a gesture she recognised and her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I haff come to see my Herm-own-ninny, ov course. I haff missed you," he replied, taking a step towards her but she took a step farther out of his reach, her clipboard held against her chest, her fingers gripping it tightly, seeing his eyes slowly taking in the changes of her body since he'd last seen her, four years ago.

That day, as they'd entered summer and it was quite a warm day, she'd opted to wear a white spaghetti strap top, a pair of blue washed denim shorts and white converse on her feet. When his eyes landed on that of her exposed tattoos, his eyebrow arched in surprise.

"You haff changed," he observed.

"You haven't," she replied evenly.

He looked exactly the same as he had her fourth year. Black hair cut short, dark eyes, six-foot-three, broad shoulders and all muscle. He didn't have the typical build of a Seeker, which is one of the reasons the public loved him so. Seekers were slim and fast, Viktor was not, rather, he had the ideal build for a Beater.

"What are you doing here?"

"I vanted to see you; it has been long time."

"How did you know I was here?"

"It vos going 'round all Quidditch teams that my Herm-own-ninny Granger vos the new Junior Coach for a British League Team. The youngest in the vorld, and on record."

"And you're here now, because?" She prompted.

"I haff told you, I had to see you. You are mine."

"No, I am not," she said forcefully, her body stiffening in anger. "We broke up when you cheated on me, four years ago."

"You could not give me vhat I needed, so I find some vho vill," he shrugged his large shoulders, unconcerned and unapologetic. "But now, I haff come to collect vhat is rightvully mine. Your purity."

He stalked forward, her eyes hardened and she moved out of his reach.

"I am _not_ yours, Viktor. I am now a married woman and my husband is a wonderful man," she informed him, deliberately shifting her wedding ring towards the sunlight so it reflected, his eyes being drawn to her left ring finger, showcasing she was speaking the truth.

He halted in his steps, his features twisting into an unhappy scowl. "You are not pure?"

"No, I'm not; I saved myself for my husband, whom I love very much."

"You give avay vhat is not yours to give?"

"Excuse me," her voice rose in pitch. "You do not own me, Viktor. You weren't nice to me when we were dating and I see you haven't changed. How dare you presume that I would save myself for you? I am not and will not be another notch on your belt. My husband is a kind, generous and caring man and I love him. I'm glad that I could give that part of myself to him rather than being pressured into giving it to you."

It was quite clear that he didn't appreciate honesty, his hands balling into fists, his form tensing and he slowly closed the distance. He was trying to intimidate her but Hermione wasn't backing down.

Unknown to them, at the arrival of the unexpected visitor, the attention of the players above had been drawn and as one, they all flew down to the coach's box, dismounting their brooms, right at the moment of Viktor Krum (someone no one had been expecting a visit from) all but demanding that Hermione give herself to him.

Instinctively, Pallie and Thompson both took hold of Oliver's arms, holding him back when he made to intervene, his expression dark and furious.

"Let her deal with it," said Pallie, his eyes darting between him, Hermione and Viktor.

"I suggest you don't come any closer, Viktor," Hermione warned. "I will not be held responsible for the Bulgarian National Team's Seeker being admitted to hospital."

He scoffed. "You vouldn't hurt me, you luff. I know you vant me. I vill bed you," he replied confidently.

She tracked his movements carefully and he was getting too close for comfort, but before she drew her wand, Oliver struggled free from his restraint, his broom and teammates forgotten as he charged forward, slotting himself between Viktor and Hermione before his hand balled into a fist and collided with Viktor's face.

The force of the punch, catching Viktor off guard and his larger frame, all combined to result in the Bulgarian Seeker tipping towards the floor. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

A gasp fell from Hermione's mouth, her clipboard clattering against the ground as her wide eyes darted between Viktor and Oliver's murderous expression. He was _furious._

Slowly lifting his gaze, Viktor wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before he rose to his feet, his dark eyes locked on Oliver as his hand balled into a fist.

Whilst her husband was fast and athletic with the build of a Keeper, Viktor was taller, his shoulders broader and his muscle mass bigger. In a physical fight, whilst she was sure Oliver would be capable of handling himself, put up against Viktor, someone bigger than him, it wasn't a fair fight. And so, she intervened the best way she knew how.

"Oliver Charles Wood!" She snapped. "My office! _Now_!"

His eyes darted to her, widening slightly. _He_ was the one in trouble? Not a chance in hell was he allowing that to happen. He'd been defending her!

"Am not someone ye can order aboot!" He own voice rose, his body partially turning towards her, his angry eyes locking on her. "Am yer bloody husband!"

"When we're here I am your _Coach_! That was on order, _Captain_. If I have to bench you, I will. Now get your arse to my office!" She ordered.

They stared at one another unflinchingly, neither wanting to be the first to back down before Oliver growled, spun on his heel, speared Viktor with a look of hatred and shoved past him, disappearing up the stands and into the building.

"I knew you vouldn't let that pretty boy get avay vith it. I knew you still luffed me," Viktor's eyes flashed smugly.

Her eyes snapped to him. "As for you, Viktor," she began coldly. "I am _not_ yours, I never have been and I never will be. And that 'pretty boy' is my husband and he just knocked you on your arse," she argued, hearing the sniggers coming from behind her. If Oliver had overheard, she knew the team had as well. "I _love_ him and what I do with my husband is none of your business. I will not now nor will I ever sleep with you and I will never look at you or anyone else the way I look at him."

She lifted her left wrist, the golden band proudly sparkling in the sunlight. His eyes darted to it, a slight crease forming at his brow before recognition seemed to light his eyes.

"Oh, so you do know what it is? Lovely. Now you see, I was never yours. From the moment I was born, I _belonged_ to Oliver. I am his for eternity and he is mine. Leave me alone the hell alone, and go bother some other witch who isn't me."

She took satisfaction in the way his mouth had parted and his eyes had widened as his gaze darted between her face and her wrist.

"And just we're clear, Oliver is the _Captain_ of this team, he's considered to be one of the best Keepers in the British league and before we married, he was one of Britain's most eligible bachelors. He is a Pureblood, comes from a noble, wealthy and kind family and is very talented in _many_ areas. You are no better than him. In my eyes, _he_ is better than _you_."

No longer giving him her attention, she spun around to see the gathered players all whispering between one another and she opened her beaded bag, retrieved the brown paper bag holding their lunch and she threw it towards Thompson, trusting the Seeker to catch it.

"You can have an early lunch. Someone, please escort Mr. Krum out of the building whilst I attend to an urgent matter."

"Sure thing, Junior... I mean, Hermione," Bishop corrected quickly, giving her a nervous smile.

With one last look to the team, she turned and approached Viktor, stopping at his side.

"By the way, telling me that women couldn't orgasm was ridiculous. Perhaps that just goes to show your lack of talent," she jibed in a mutter. And just to twist the knife in a little further, she added, "You know, Oliver once got me to orgasm without touching me?"

Taking pleasure in his disbelief of both the statement and that she'd spoken it without a single care, she continued in her steps until she reached her office.

Stepping inside, it was to see Oliver pacing back and forth, furiously glaring down at the floor as if he might be able to burn a hole into it. Slamming the door shut, she quickly threw up a Locking and Silencing Charm and at the sound, Oliver halted in his steps, his angry expression darted to her and his mouth opened, no doubt to release a furious tirade.

But his words were lost when Hermione launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around him, her mouth pressing against his and with the force of the collision, they tipped backwards, landing on the soft leather couch. Surprised, his hands settled on her upper arms, forcing her back from him so he might look at her.

"I'm _not_ mad at you," she promised. "I just had to make it look as though I was and I'm sorry for yelling at you. You did what I wanted to do, but I would've broken my hand given he's double my weight and bigger than me. I admit there are easier ways to handle such an incident but punching him in the face worked all the same." His expression had quickly morphed from anger, to confusion, to surprise. Smiling at him, she took his bruising hand in her own, allowing her magic to heal it before she pressed her lips to each of his knuckles. "I love you. Thank you for defending me."

He cleared his throat. "Yer me wife," he said softly. "A will always defend ye."

"And I you," she smiled. "Viktor called you a 'pretty boy' but he was wrong."

"He was?" He tipped his head slightly.

"Yes, you're not a pretty boy; you're a handsome young _man_ , Mr. Wood," she said, reaching up, she brushed his hair back from his eyes.

"An' yer an incredibly beautiful young woman, _Mrs_. _Wood,_ " he smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears and she leaned into his touch. "What did ye say tae Viktor Dumb?"

She snorted at his grin, rolling her eyes. "I may have jabbed at his talent in the bedroom."

"Hoo?"

"Well, I mentioned that you once gave me an orgasm without touching me, and, that if he had to convince a girl that she couldn't orgasm, it reflects badly on his ability to perform."

Laughing fell from him, Hermione being jostled when his body shook, feeling it rumbling in his chest against hers.

"Ye never cease tae amaze mae."

Lifting his head, Hermione accepted his kiss, soon drawing back from him and unfastening the ties on his bottoms, shifting them and his underwear down until his length sprung free. She wrapped her hand around him, feeling his hands move to grip at her hips and snaking beneath her top, his fingers pressing into her skin with each pump of her hand.

Looking down at him with a tilted head, watching the puffs of air leaving his parted mouth and him struggling to keep his eyes locked on hers, she decided she wanted to do something for him, something she hadn't done before. Oral sex. Whilst Oliver had introduced her to it on their wedding night, using it as a way to help her relax, it hadn't happened since and neither had she had the courage to bring it up in conversation. Not that it mattered, she supposed. There was never much foreplay happened between them as they were both always so impatient.

After secretly speaking with Fleur and reading through a few books, she felt she could at least give it a try. She'd never felt the need to do so a thing even if she had been a little curious, but unless she tried it, she couldn't be certain if she liked it. In theory, she knew she could do it, she just had to put her knowledge to practice. It was an experiment, she told herself, something of a way to calm her nerves.

Taking a breath, she slipped away from him and onto her knees before the couch, Oliver feeling her retreat, automatically sitting up and planting his feet on the ground, his eyes quickly widening at seeing her current kneeling position, her intentions clear.

"Hermione, ye don' have tae do anything tha' makes ye uncomfortable. A'll never pressure ye intae anything," he told her.

His expression and his words solidified her decision into wanting to do this for him. In wanting to try.

"I know, but I _want_ to do this for you," she admitted, feeling her cheeks flush with heat whilst his eyes carefully searched her face. "Just... tell me if I do it wrong."

Not wanting to give him time to argue further, allow herself time to second-guess her decision or allow the nerves to get the best of her, she took a quick breath, pulled her hair over one shoulder so it was out of the way and she leaned over, her hands sliding over his thighs before she gripped his length in her hand.

Nervously, her tongue darted out and swiped over the slit that leaked pre-come, Hermione being glad to find that it didn't taste as bad as she was expecting, whilst Oliver hissed in surprise, fisting his hands tightly by his sides to prevent him from burying them in her hair. This was her first time; he didn't want to risk startling her in which she might accidentally hurt him. He wanted to allow her to take it at her own pace, no matter how torturous it was.

Darting a glance to him, she placed a shy kiss on the head before slowly taking him into her mouth, sucking lightly, hearing his choked groan. She lowered her head, taking more of him into her mouth before she pulled back, repeating the process until she'd taken as much of him in her mouth as possible, having read that she needed to flatten her tongue and relax her throat. Luckily, with her parents having been dentists, she didn't have a gag reflex.

Hearing his surprised groan, Hermione felt a sense of accomplishment fill her and although he was too big to fit into her mouth entirely, she was pleased that she'd managed a little more than half the length, her hand covering the remainder, her wrist using a twisting motion as she worked him over. Her confidence was slowly building, Oliver's hisses and groans more than helping to boost her ego, and so, she increased the speed of her hand movements and she sucked harder, experimentally and carefully dragging her teeth over his length. Oliver's eyes snapped open, staring down at Hermione in surprise with puffs of air falling from his mouth, his chest rising and falling with every breath he took.

When lifted her gaze curiously, gazing at him from beneath her lashes with her mouth and hand still wrapped around him... It was his undoing.

He tried to warn her but she didn't take notice, continuing with her movements until a curse sounded from him and his hips jerked forward as he found his release in Hermione's mouth. Surprised, her eyes flew open; she knew what she had to do, if she drew back, it'd make a mess and if she didn't, she nothing or nowhere to spit into, again, making a mess. Resigning herself, she closed her eyes and she swallowed.

When he slumped into the couch, she drew back from him, doing her best not to throw up whilst she summoned a bottle of water from her beaded bad and drank half of it in one go, rinsing out her mouth.

When she set the water bottle aside and turned back to him, she squeaked when Oliver's mouth crashed against hers, his tongue parting her lips, the taste of him still lingering, a groan rumbling in his chest because he knew _why_ it was there. It was something he'd never forget.

"Perfect," Oliver drew back, resting his forehead against hers, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. "Ev'rything ye do is perfect."

"You don't have to lie to me," she muttered in embarrassment. "I know it wasn't that good."

"It was perfect," he argued, "Especially tha' it was yer first time. Have a ever lied tae ye?"

"Does the engagement ring count?"

"Naw," he pulled back so he could look down at her. "A've never lied tae ye an' am not lying now. Yer the only witch tae ev'r get mae aff in less than five minutes." She looked to him shyly. "Am being honest," he promised. "Where did ye even learn ta do all tha'?"

She shrugged. "I talked with Fleur and read a few books and the rest was just instinct, I suppose. I don't have a gag reflex, which was useful."

"A havnae seen any books aboot sex."

"I hid them in the library behind my arithmancy books," she said sheepishly.

He snorted, giving his head a shake. "Nice hiding place," he complimented.

A grin finding its way onto his face, he pulled her onto the couch before falling to the ground before her on his knees, his mouth placing soft kisses to her thighs, inching his way up until his hands reached for the zip on her denim shorts.

"You don't have to, I didn't expect anything in return," she interrupted, feeling the heat filling her cheeks.

"Anno, which only makes mae wanna do it more," he replied, holding gaze. Nibbling at her lip, she lifted her hips so he might pull her shorts down her legs, a groan falling from him upon seeing the black lace boy shorts. "Remind mae tae buy Fleur a thank ye gift."

"We've already bought her one and she loved it," she reminded.

"Well, am buying her _another_ one."

With that, he leaned closer and kissed her, her hands finding their way into his hair and he groaned when she tugged. His left hand rested on her hip, his thumb rubbing circles against her skin and his right hand trailed down to her underwear, ghosting over the delicate lace, a smile pulling at his mouth when she moaned and bucked against him, searching for friction. Giving her what she wanted, he slipped his beneath the lace and manoeuvred so he could slip two fingers into her entrance and rub circles on her nub with her thumb. Hermione broke away from the kiss, whimpering and moaning, her hips moving against him.

Knowing she was close, he drew back from her, chuckling at her noise and scowl of disapproval before he made quick work of drawing her underwear away from her and down her legs, later taking a hold of her legs, tugging her down the couch until she lay flat and he tossed her legs over his shoulders, holding her in place. Not allowing her the chance to argue with him, his buried his face against her, using his mouth and tongue to bring her undone, his eyes focused on watching her facial expressions, on watching her lose control.

When he brought her to that point, it sent a ripple of pleasure through her like a tidal wave and Hermione found her release with Oliver lapping up her juices happily until she all but begged him to stop.

Lowering her legs and feet to the ground, he'd barely had time to wipe his face before she launched herself at him, and as it was unexpected, Oliver's back hit the ground and Hermione scrambled to straddle him, seeming to not care for where his mouth had been as she latched her mouth onto his hair, her hands burying in his hair.

Groaning, he folded his arms around her, keeping her against him and before either of them knew it, she had her hand wrapped around him and positioned at her entrance before she sank onto him, her head tipping back and her breath catching. Leaning forward and setting her hands against the ground on either side of Oliver's head for balance, she kissed him as she worked her hips over him, Oliver pushing into her from beneath, meeting each of his thrusts.

When he brought her to the edge and shoved her off it, she was sure to drag him along with her, her mouth latching onto his scarred neck from where she'd bitten him countless times during their short time being married. It was never going to heal, Hermione realised, particularly with the full moon being once a month and feeling territorial every time a girl looked at him, but Oliver didn't mind; he found it amusing and he was always teasing her for her behaviour.

Hermione tiredly slumped on top of him and Oliver wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, his nose burying in her hair.

"I want you to do something for me," said Hermione, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled around them.

"Hmmm?"

"I want you to make me a list."

"Af?"

"Of your fantasies."

"What?" He blurted out.

"I want you to make me a list of your sexual fantasies," she clarified.

He was _not_ expecting that.

"Only if ye make mae a list af yers," he negotiated.

"I don't have any."

"A don' believe ye."

"Honestly, I don't have any. I suppose I've never really thought about it before. But, if I do think of something, I'll let you know," she promised.

"We should get back tae the team," Oliver said after a few moments of silence had passed.

"I gave them an early lunch, granted, it was only fifteen minutes, but still..."

"Hoo should we play it?"

"They know me well enough by now, so they know I wasn't mad at you. There's no point in acting as such or that we've had a big private argument." He chuckled at her. "We'll get some teasing but that's okay, I'll allow it given that it's a match day and everyone's a little stressed. I'm sorry for taking out my frustration on you all. I don't know how Coach managed by himself for thirteen years, I can barely do it for a few hours."

"Yer selling yerself short. Yer a doing a great job putting up with those idiots." She chuckled. "The first hour ye were really laying intae us but then yeu calmed yerself an' made training fun. Ye had us imagine the bludgers were Mary, ye scolded Malloy, ye played catch the levitated golf ball with Thompson _an'_ ye set Kings on Bishop," he laughed. "Jus' do what ye normally do. Keep us in line, keep us on track, force-feed us, keep us training, send us ta get ready an' then yell at us from the coach's box during the match when someone does something wrong." Hermione smiled against his chest before pressing a kiss over the fabric of his jumper. "What were ye talking tae Thompson aboot?"

"I'll tell you later, right now, we'd better get you fed before there's no food left."

~000~000~000~

Descending the stands and approaching the time, Hermione saw Thompson cradling his snitch hand to his chest whilst the team were crowded around him, clapping him on the back as he beamed proudly. That wasn't a good sign.

Rushing forward, she cried, "What the hell happened?"

Taking his injured hand in her own, her eyes darting to him when he hissed in pain, she drew her wand, muttering diagnostic charms beneath her breath. He had two breaks in his hand and a sprained wrist. She couldn't heal him as a Healer might, she'd have to use her natural healing. Whilst they did have a Healer on standby at the stadium, for obvious reasons, but they had a match later that day, a match Thompson _had_ to play in if they wished to keep a tight hold on their first place lead in the league. His injury would take at least twenty-four hours to heal should a Healer get involved. She had to be the one to do it.

"I punched Krum," he answered proudly.

"Why?"

"Because he deserved it," he shrugged, giving her a look only she would understand. And she did. Obviously, the conversation they'd had was a bad idea, not to mention, he'd evidently heard the things Viktor had said to her. "I broke his nose," he grinned and Oliver laughed and clapped him on the shoulder in a show of pride and thanks.

"Continue with lunch, you, come with me," she said, pinning him with a look that dared him to argue before she turned and returned to her office with Thompson following behind her.

Stepping inside, she erected a Silencing Charm and gestured for him to sit beside her on the couch, Hermione taking his injured hand and setting it palm down against her left palm, the Seeker yelping in pain when she un-balled his hand so it was flat. Ignoring it, she lifted her right hand, hovering it over his hand with a small golden glow appearing as his bones healed and the pain disappeared. Staring in surprise, he slowly drew his hand back, flexing it, feeling no pain or discomfort.

"How?" He spluttered.

She sighed, pushing her hair back from her face. "You can't tell anyone," she warned and he nodded instantly. "I'm a natural healer."

His mouth dropped open.

"No way!" He whispered excitedly. "That's why Wood was healed so quickly the day of the first match of the season, wasn't it? How badly was he _really_ hurt? He said it was just a few broken bones."

"He _did_ have some broken bones, but he also had internal bleeding and organ damage. He would've died if I hadn't used my abilities to heal him."

"That's why you're a licensed healer. It makes sense now!" He shook his head. "You and Oliver share the Golden Bond?" He questioned despite knowing the answer, he'd seen the marking on her wrists. And although he'd never seen one before, there was no mistaking it for what it was. "That's why he's so protective of you and you of him. It's why he's not interested in anyone else and hasn't batted an eye at any other witch since meeting you. It's why he _wanted_ to marry you."

"Yes, it is," she agreed.

"My parents told me stories as a child but I didn't think I'd ever see one. I didn't even believe they were real."

"They are," she confirmed. "Now, did Viktor leave?"

"Yeah, security all but dragged him out. Apparently, he has tickets to the match this afternoon and I had to point out the fact that the stadium wasn't open to the public until game time. And then I punched him in the nose," he grinned. "I'd do it again, too," he vowed.

Sighing, she said, "He's here scouting, checking out the competition. He knows about the games that are being organised and he wants to know what he's up against."

"What do we do?" He frowned.

"We give him something to be afraid of. We give him a reason to worry about us."

"We're going to kick his arse," Thompson promised confidently.

"You'd better work on that Wronski Feint first," she laughed. "Now, let's get back to the team, I need to tell them about the matches during the training season. Maybe it will light a fire under their arses."

~000~000~000~

"AN IMPRESSIVE SAVE BY OLIVER WOOD! PUDDLEMERE TAKES POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE! MALLOY PASSES TO BISHOP, WHO PASSES BACK TO MALLOY, WHO PASSES TO PALLIE. THEY ARE MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE TORNADOES HOOPS!" The commentator called excitedly, his voice magnified by the Sonorous Charm. "WHOA! REMARKABLE HIT BY KINGS WHO KNOCKS AWAY TORNADOES CHASER, GREEN! A BRILLIANT HIT, INDEED.!"

"AND AN IMPRESSIVE DODGE OF A BLUDGER BY PALLIE! PUDDLEMERE IS ON FIRE THIS EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PALLIE ENTERS THE SCORING ZONE AND HE THROWS THE QUAFFLE... AND IT'S A GOAL! BRINGING THE SCORES TO 400-150. THE TORNADOES _REALLY_ NEED TO PICK UP THE SLACK IF THEY WANT TO WIN THIS MATCH. THOMPSON'S SPOTTED THE SNITCH AND HE'S OFF... JENSON'S HOT ON THOMPSON'S BROOM, BUT IT'S TOO LATE! THOMPSON CAUGHT THE SNITCH. IT'S ANOTHER WIN FOR PUDDLEMERE!"

Hermione cried and screamed as she dropped her clipboard to the ground, jumping and cheering. The team shook hands with the other team's players and did a quick victory lap around the pitch, taking in the cheers and boos of the fans.

Thompson was the first to reach the coach's box and he dismounted his broom and picked up a cheering Hermione in his arms, spinning her in circles. He set her back on her feet and one by one, the team dismounted their brooms and ran over to hug her in the same fashion as Thompson.

Oliver was the last to touch down and dismount his broom, Hermione disentangling from Bishop and darting over to him, jumping into Oliver's arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He laughed gleefully as she hugged him tightly and shouted praise into his ear before pulling back and passionately kissing him. When they heard wolf whistles from the team, Oliver gave them the middle finger whilst his eyes remained closed and he smiled into the kiss. Drawing back, Hermione and Oliver's laughter mixed with the team's.

"Told ye ye could do it, _Coach,_ " he said and she beamed at him. "Taday was the best training session we've had." She leaned down and kissed him again before Oliver put her down and she turned to face the team.

"Three more matches. As long as we win at least two of them, we're in the Final!" They cheered loudly and Hermione laughed. "Celebration party? Where's it happening?"

"Your apartment," Pallie grinned cheekily. "Best fun we've had in ages," he told her, the team nodding and chorusing in agreement.

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing Oliver and I went shopping last night to get you lot alcohol, both wizarding _and_ muggle."

The team cheered and Hermione laughed.

"We're starting a new tradition, celebration parties at Wood Apartment, _all_ the time," Bishop said. The team cheered and Oliver grumbled but Hermione saw his lip twitch.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

"I've never noticed this before," Pallie remarked as Hermione approached, standing before the fish tank. Smiling, he took the tumbler of fire whiskey from her.

"On our third date, I took Oliver to a theme park in the Muggle World and he won a goldfish on one of the game booths on one of the games there. I took him into Muggle London to purchase everything he needed to keep the fish alive, and not only did he buy another _two_ fish whilst there, but, he also bought this huge tank because he wanted his fish to have 'plenty of room so they could grow'." Pallie laughed at her when she rolled her eyes.

"How'd you get it to look like that?" He tipped his head, referring to the Puddlemere logo on the back of the glass, the Hogwarts castle, the Keeper hoops, the Quidditch players that floated in the water and the golden snitch, bludgers and quaffle.

"Transfiguration and charms, it was good practice for my upcoming NEWTs. Oliver _loves_ his fish. He sometimes just sits on the floor and watches them for hours, I don't understand the fascination, I'm bought after about five minutes as watching them swim circles," she said, sharing a laugh with him.

"What are ye twa laughing at?" Asked Oliver, coming up behind Hermione and snaking his arms around her stomach, his chin sitting atop her shoulder.

"Nothing," they chimed innocently.

Oliver snorted. "Right, 'coz a believe tha'. The twins wanna play truth or dare," Oliver told her.

"Oh God, no," Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Never have I ever had been bad enough but at least there'd been restrictions. There wasn't with truth or dare. By the end of the night, she was certain there'd been one of two injuries. Perhaps she might sneak away and leave the boys to their own devices, but in doing so, she knew it _would_ end in injuries without her supervision.

"I need more alcohol in my system for that," she grumbled, hearing their snorts. "This should be fun," she said sarcastically. "I wish I never taught them that game."

They all gathered in a group, Hermione and Oliver on the armchair, the twins on the couch closest to them and the team all squeezed onto the corner suite, the couch and the floor, all of them with drinks in hand and Quaffle was happily snuggled by the armchair, sleeping.

"Who's going first?" Asked Hermione, sipping from her drink after the rules had been explained. "And remember, nothing illegal. We can't risk any bad press or arrest warrants."

"Party pooper," pouted Fred. She glared at him.

"I will," offered Bishop, drawing their attention. "Let's see, Pallie, truth or dare?"

"Truth," he opted.

"Is it true that you have a fear of ladybirds?"

"Yes," he admitted and they sniggered at him.

"Seriously? I don't even want to know why."

"I don't know why," he shrugged, "They just freak me out. Now, Malloy, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he chose.

His mouth twitching, Pallie leaned over and whispered something into his ear, the Chaser's eyes widening in horror. "Tonight?"

"Yep, it _has_ to be done by tonight or face the consequences," Pallie confirmed.

"What does he have to do tonight?" George asked.

"You'll see," Pallie smirked, seeing Malloy shift uncomfortably.

"Wood, truth or dare?" Asked the blonde Chaser.

"Truth."

"Is it true that you've had sex with more than fifty women?" He asked.

Oliver's eyes darted down to Hermione, seeing her arched eyebrow.

Praying his answer didn't upset or hurt her, he cleared his throat and said, "Aye, a think so, a stopped counting years ago," he nodded. The team whistled in both surprise and appreciation and Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Seriously?" She spluttered. He nodded sheepishly, eyeing her cautiously or more specifically, where her wand was. "I knew you'd gotten around but bloody hell, Wood!"

"It doesn't matter, Sparrow. A promise, yer the only one a care aboot an' yer the only one tha' matters," he muttered into her ear, his arm tightening his hold around her stomach. She grumbled but leaned into him. "Wilks, truth or dare?" He asked.

"Dare," he chose.

"A dare ye tae kiss Coach Burton."

Laughter broke free as he stared at Oliver in horror, before muttering, "Fine. Hermione, truth or dare?"

Her brow furrowed thoughtfully, either way, she was screwed. The only thing she took comfort in was that it wasn't one of the twins who'd asked her.

"Truth," she decided. She couldn't be arsed having to stand and move about, not when she was quite comfortable being curled up on her husband's lap.

"Is it true that you dated Ron Weasley?" Wilks asked. The twins burst into laughter, slapping their thighs.

"Good one!" They wheezed hysterically.

"No," she scowled unhappily, taking a hearty swig from her glass. She'd opted for elf wine whilst the other had chosen the muggle spirits.

"Is it true that you were a virgin when you married Wood?" Malloy piped up.

"It's not your turn and you've asked me that question _five_ times already and my answer is still the same. Yes. Why are you so obsessed with my sexual status?"

"I find it hard to believe, that's all," he shrugged.

"Why? I don't throw myself at people, and I don't dress or behave provocatively."

"Exactly, that makes me wonder if you really were who you appeared to be. It's always the quiet ones."

"What are you suggesting?" She demanded, hopping from Oliver's lap and standing to her feet, her eyes narrowing.

The room was deadly quiet. No one dared speak. Only the twins had seen Hermione's true temper and they knew that if Malloy didn't take the hint and keep his mouth shut, he'd find himself waking in St. Mungo's. Of course, they were also furious for what he was insinuating, and Hermione's anger mixed with the Weasley Twins' was definitely _not_ a good thing. And to add to that, Oliver was furious and stunned at his teammate's behaviour. Yes, he was an arsehole, but he'd always respected Hermione.

He arched a challenging eyebrow.

"You're doing an obstacle course tomorrow!"

"What for?" He frowned.

"For not only disrespecting me, but for doing it in my own home," she said coldly before storming from the room, everyone startling when a door slammed.

"What the hell was tha'?" Demanded Oliver, standing from the armchair. "Yer not only doin' the obstacle tamorrow, but yer also doin' five hundred laps af the pitch, on broom an' on foot, an' yer the Beater's target fer the entire day. Yer not allowed tae move, ye have tae let them aim fer ye withoot trying tae dodge them. Yer lucky she dinnae hex ye an' tha' a havnae kicked yer arse yet," Oliver's voice was remarkably calm, belying his furious expression.

With one last glance, he left the room in search of Hermione, hearing the twins following after him. Stepping into their bedroom, they'd been expecting to see Hermione upset and crying, instead, they found her laughing.

"Sparrow, am sorry aboot him. He's had one tae many drinks an' he dinnae..."

"Mean it?" She interrupted. "I know he didn't."

"What?" He and the twins chorused in confusion.

"I know he didn't mean it," she repeated.

"How?" Frowned Fred.

"Advanced hearing," she shrugged lightly.

"Wait, that's what Pallie dared him to do?" George questioned.

"Yes, he dared him to wind me up."

"Tha' was dangerous," Oliver commented and the twins agreed. "Are ye really gonna make him do an obstacle course?"

"No, but I am going to drag it out a bit and some fun before I reveal the truth," she grinned. "Shall we head back to the game?" She suggested.

Returning to the living area with blank expressions, they retook their seats, all eyes looking to Hermione.

"I believe it's my turn," she began, her eyes moving to Fred, the older twin being worried by her not-so-innocent grin. She was just as diabolical as he and George, if not, more so. "Fred, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he decided. The way he saw it, he was screwed either way so he may as well have some fun.

"I dare you to owl Professor McGonagall and tell her about a certain sexual fantasy of yours that involves her as the main feature."

Fred grimaced as George laughed and leaned over, sharing a high-five with Hermione as the team sniggered.

"That's brilliant," George praised proudly.

"Ye have sexual fantasies aboot _McGonagall_?" Oliver laughed.

"No, I don't, but Hermione wants me to convince McGonagall that I do," Fred shivered.

Once Hermione summoned parchment and a pen, Fred set to work on his 'masterpiece', reading his words aloud for the others as he wrote them to parchment, unable to keep his clear discomfort with the dare from his expression.

"Done," he informed them, sealing the parchment in an envelope and addressing it to McGonagall before attaching it to Ali after Hermione had called for her, watching the little owl take flight. "That was wrong on so many levels," he grimaced, slumping back into the couch cushions.

George looked at his twin and snorted. "You're proud and you know it."

"Okay, maybe a little," he admitted. "George, truth or dare?"

"Dare," replied his twin.

"I dare you to tell mum that it was you that broke her favourite vase."

He froze, his expression morphing into one of horrified terror as Fred and Hermione high-fived and sniggered.

"Before I go and visit the person to cause my untimely death, Malloy, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

George smirked, sending a wink to Hermione. "Is it true that you use our Beautification Potion and Kissing Concoction?" He asked, sniggers sounding around him.

"No," he scoffed.

"I don't believe you. You see, the person who orders them does it anonymously and through owl post, however, they give us a vault number, a vault number requires invoice to be filed, and that invoice holds the name of the vault owner," said George, seeing Malloy's cheeks tint pink.

Sniggering, George stood and crossed to the fireplace, flooing to the Burrow and quite possibly, to his death.

"You lied. You have to do a forfeit," said Hermione.

"What?" He looked terrified.

"At the next victory interview, you have to wear a fairy princess costume, wings and all." Laughter erupted with Malloy seeming to have frozen in place. "Well, Malloy seems to have frozen, so I'll take his turn. Wilks, truth or dare?"

"Truth," he chose.

"Is it true that you slept with five separate women in one night?" She arched an eyebrow.

"No, it was three," he shook his head. "Kings, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he decided.

"I dare you to kiss Thompson."

Kings shrugged before leaning over and giving Thompson a dramatic and sloppy kiss to the cheek and they laughed when Wilks frowned. "Should've specified, mate," he replied.

At that point, the floo roared to life and George stepped out, approaching the couch as he winced and rubbed at his arse.

"What happened?" Hermione asked amusedly.

"She got her wooden spoon and chased me outside. I would've gotten away if I hadn't tripped over a bloody garden gnome," he grumbled. They laughed at him. "I'm on gnome duty for the next four Sundays. So, what did I miss?"

"It's my turn," Kings answered. "Hermione, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Is it true that you have a phoenix tattoo?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow. How did he know about that? "Yes, I do," she replied, her eyes darting to Thompson when he avoided her gaze and took a large sip from his tumbler. He'd once seen part of it when she'd stretched and her shirt lifted. "Malloy, truth or dare?" She asked sweetly.

"Dare... Wait, no, truth," he quickly amended.

"Can't change your mind; I have to accept your first answer. I dare you to allow the twins to cook for you and you have to eat _every_ last bit of it."

The twins grinned and high-fived Hermione whilst Oliver laughed.

"Alright, who's gonna plan Malloy's funeral?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 13

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Tuesday 25th August 1998**

Puddlemere had won their previous match against the Wigtown Wanders and they'd just won their current match of the day against the Banchory Bangers. As a result, they had a match against Lancashire on Saturday and three days later was the final, which Puddlemere was set to play in even if they lost against Lancashire.

Hermione currently stood in her office bathroom, nervously scrutinising her appearance. Whilst the team were finishing up with their victory interview, she'd snuck off to her office to change clothing. As she'd asked of him, Oliver had given her a list of his sexual fantasies and that day, she'd chosen to attempt to bring one of them to life, hoping to Merlin that she didn't embarrass herself or chicken out.

It seemed that Oliver was quite the exhibitionist, or at least, he wanted to be. On his list, he'd included sex in a public place but the best she was willing to do was the stadium, knowing that it was semi-public given the security measures in place, lessening the risk of being caught. Another of his fantasies had Hermione wearing a certain school uniform, whilst another had mentioned her being his number one fan. And after seeing this, she'd decided to combine the three.

She nibbled at her lip and she fiddled with her fingers as her eyes carefully took in her appearance. Her hair was pulled back into two low pigtails with midnight blue ribbons tied in place, her hair spilling over her shoulders and curls framing her face. Her clothing was far tighter than she'd have ever dared to wear in school, her white shirt fitting to her frame, being unbuttoned at the valley of her breasts. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and the shirttails were tied into a knot above the navel, showing her midriff, the mounds of her breasts and her black lace bra could be seen through the fabric. A red and gold striped tie was loosely tied about her neck, her black pleated skirt sat high on her waist and the hem barely covered her arse, a small section of pale skin being seen between that and the beginning of her black stockings. She wore matching black lace boy shorts beneath her skirt, black heels on her feet and she was free of jewellery beside her wedding rings, Wood cuff bracelet and golden hopped earrings.

She took a deep breath. "It's now or never," she said to herself. "He better appreciate this."

Hearing the fading cheers and chants of the team, she knew they'd finished their interview and were heading towards the locker room. Taking a final glance in the mirror and steeling her nerves, she cast a Disillusionment and Silencing as to not be seen and she left her office, heading for the locker rooms, waiting for a few minutes to allow the team time to disappear into the shower. There was only one man she wanted to see indecently dressed, or not at all.

"That wife of yours is brilliant, Wood," Kings called, his footsteps growing quiet as he drew closer to the showers.

"Tell mae aboot it!" Oliver called after him with a laugh.

Hearing no other voices, Hermione peeked inside to see that Oliver was the only one in the locker room, the rest having already headed for the showers. Seeing him remove his robes and jumper before he reached for his broom and turned to set it in his locket, Hermione removed the Silencing and Disillusionment Charm and stepped inside, doing her best to not slip on the floor and fight down the blush.

It didn't work. The moment Oliver turned around at the sound of her heels on the floor, his eyes widening, his mouth falling open and his jumper and broom being dropped to floor, colour and heat flooded her cheeks. He was speechless.

Hermione might've taken it for a bad thing if it weren't for the fact she could physically see the reaction she'd pulled from him, feeling feminine pride fill her as she struggled to stop the giggle threatening to fall from her. He made a few strangled sounds she understood to be him struggling to speak and with that, she squashed down her nerves and insecurities, feeling emboldened.

"Congratulations, Captain Wood. You played exceptionally today and you led your team to victory," she congratulated with a smile, stopping so close in front of him, they were almost touching.

Clearing his throat, his eyes slowly swept her body, landing on her exposed breasts before he drew his eyes to her, his gaze dark and heated. Merlin, was he irresistible.

"Thanks, Miss, it was a team effort," he replied.

"Oh, don't be so modest," she tipped her head. "You're one of the best Keepers in the league, _the_ best in my opinion." Lifting her hand, her fingertips ghosted over his shirtless, muscled chest, seeing a shiver race through him. "I'm your _number one_ fan, and I know you're a busy man, but I was hoping that you could spare a few minutes to give me an autograph."

Oliver's mouth tugged into a smirk. "Do ye have any parchment, Miss..."

" _Mrs. Wood_ ," she supplied. "And I'm afraid I don't," a sad pout pulled at her mouth before she removed a marker pen from the waistband of her skirt, holding it out to him. "But I was hoping you might sign something else instead."

He arched a questioning eyebrow, his eyes being drawn to her hands when they moved to grip her shirt, pulling it further apart to better reveal her chest and allow for easier access.

Sucking in a breath, he removed the cap, his eyes darting between her and her chest as he pressed the tip of the marker against her skin before signing his name, a groan catching in his throat at the sight of his name being possessively scrawled across her chest.

Hermione licked her lips.

"Thank you, Mr. Wood, I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I wish there was something I could do to repay you."

"Am sure ye could think af something," he muttered,, his eyes locked on her breasts where he'd just signed his name. She bit her lip and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

He couldn't take it anymore.

His control and patience snapped and he reached out, his arms slotting around her and tugging her into him, his mouth latching onto hers as he held her tightly. When Hermione drew back from him, he looked disappointed until she pecked him on the mouth and reached for his jumper and broom, slipping them both into his locker before closing it. Taking his hand, she silently led him towards the showers, spying the fourteen shower cubicles, each holding a plaque on the door, clearly labelling which cubicle belonged to which player.

Approaching the only empty cubicle in the shower room, she tugged him inside and shut the door behind them, ensuring to mutter an _Impervius_ , keeping her clothing and hair dry and water-resistant. With that taken care of, she banished Oliver's remaining clothing to his locker until he stood before her naked, watching her intensely as she started the shower, hot water falling over him, his hair being plastered across his forehead.

Stepping close to him and being relatively similar in height with the addition of her heels, she easily pressed a kiss to his skin, right beneath his ear.

"I must show you my gratitude, Mr. Wood. I also think you deserve a reward for that impressive win," she breathed huskily against his ear, a smile tugging at her mouth at the strangled whine-like noise that sounded from him. Well, wasn't this quite the turnaround? He was usually the one to have her weak-kneed and begging. "There is no Silencing Charm and your teammates are in the same room as us. You must be quiet," she warned before she suddenly dropped to her knees, her hand encircling his hardened length, giving a few pumps before she slipped her mouth around him. A groan fell from him and he fell back against the wall for support.

The more she did this to him, the more confident she became and she was quickly learning what affected him and what didn't, what he liked and what he didn't. And she'd come to realise that she liked it, too. She liked doing this to him. She liked the feelings it instilled and she liked the pleasure she gave him.

Hearing muffled groans, she peered up at him to see his teeth being clamped against his knuckles, struggling to keep quiet. Moaning, she sent vibrations down his length, his hips jerking forward and his hands moving to mess up her hair. She knew he was close and so she increased in speed and pressure and dragged her teeth over him, her eyes locking with his.

She felt his body stiffen, his hold on her tightened and he found his end, Hermione being pulled to her feet and his mouth latching onto hers before she'd had the chance to cast a charm to rid of the taste of him in her mouth.

Her back hit the wall and he dropped to his knees before her, there being no hesitation when he lifted her skirt, a groan falling from him at the sight of her lace underwear and stockings. His fingers burying under the waistband of her knickers, he drew them down her legs, waiting for her to step out of them before he lifted a leg and set it over his shoulder, his head disappearing under her skirt.

The moment his mouth latched onto her and he slipped two fingers into her, Hermione slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds wishing to be released, not wanting to alert anyone to her presence or what she and Oliver were up to, especially when she could hear the laughter and chatter of the team as they showered.

A third finger was added and with his mouth working in tandem with his hands, he brought her to orgasm, happily prolonging the pleasure as he lapped at her, hearing her muffled cries. Hermione slumped against the wall and breathed heavily as Oliver stood to his feet, watching her closely, his expression showing he was quite pleased with himself.

She reached out and drew him to her, their mouths pressing together as Hermione lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip, feeling his recovered and now erect member pressing against her thigh. Not wishing to waste any time, Oliver lifted her and pressed her against the wall, Hermione's other leg folding around him and locking at his lower back. When he entered her, she had never been more grateful that his mouth muffled her noises of pleasure.

His thrusts were slow and deliberate, designed to drive her insane, to drive her to the point of begging. Not wishing to be teased, she purposely clenched her pelvic muscles, breaking his control. His mouth unlatched from her, breathing heavily and watching enraptured as she tried to muffle her whimpers and mewls.

When she clamped around him, she leaned forward and her mouth latched onto his neck as her nails sunk his back and raked at his skin, pulling him towards his own ending. Holding her up, he pressed himself against her, working to right his breathing.

"Best wife ever," Oliver sighed into her neck, hearing Hermione's giggles as she ran her hands through his wet hair, pushing it back from his eyes and scratching at his scalp. "We're keeping this outfit, by the way."

She laughed, her gaze locking with his when he lifted his face from her neck. "Well, I know how hard you've been working and after taking a look at that list you gave me, I thought I'd see what I could do for you. Today, I've ticked three off in one go."

"Hmm,?"

"Schoolgirl who is your number one fan, _and_ we are in a semi-public place, not to mention, we're surrounded by your teammates."

To prove her point, their voices and laughter carried as they were surrounded by them. Luckily, the sounds of voices and running water had helped to drown out the noise they'd been making.

"Yer amazing," he muttered.

She smiled widely at him. "You're not so bad yourself," she replied.

Pressing another kiss to her mouth, he set her back on her feet, helping to steady her when she wobbled. At the sight of water running over his muscled, tanned form, she tipped her head, an appreciative sigh falling from her mouth. Merlin, was he handsome.

"Let's get you cleaned up, we have a victory party to attend," she said.

She reached for the shampoo and conditioner bottles that sat on the shelf in the corner, Oliver happily allowing her to apply each to his hair as she massaged at his scalp. Once done, she took the washcloth and soap, thoroughly washing away the fatigue and sweat from the day, basking in her attention.

When the shower was shut off, Hermione summoned a towel, allowing Oliver to dry off and once he'd settled the towel about his hips, she slipped her underwear on and they took their leave.

Given the time that had passed since she'd heard the other showers being shut off and the voices dying down, they'd deemed it safe and free of witnesses.

They were wrong.

Stepping into the locker room hand in hand, they froze, seeing the full dressed teammates lounging about, looking as if they'd been waiting for Oliver. Silence fell around them and all eyes turned to them, curses and splutters sounding as eyes widened and mouths fell open.

Despite being embarrassed, she fought down the blush and embarrassment, reminding herself that what'd happened in the shower with Oliver was most definitely worth the teasing she'd receive.

"Bloody hell!" Malloy exclaimed, blatantly leering at Hermione and her less than appropriately dressed form. Oliver found it both amusing and annoying, he was stuck in-between the two.

"Hermione!" Thompson spluttered, his cheeks flushing pink.

Hermione's eyes dared about seeing some of them shifting on their feet, some of them being flushed and the rest being too surprised to do anything but silently stare.

"Yes, well," she cleared her throat, "I have some things I need to collect from my office," she offered her best smile, kissed Oliver on the cheek and then took her leave, feeling their eyes following her.

"What the hell was _that_?" Pallie asked stunned.

Oliver's grin gave away _exactly_ what'd happened.

"Tha' was _the_ best wife ever," he replied smugly, moving to his locker and pulling his clothing free, making a start on dressing.

"That was some fantasy of yours, wasn't it?" Thompson said knowingly, his eyes darting between Oliver and the doorway.

"Aye, actually she combined three."

"You told her your _fantasies_?" Bishop said disbelievingly.

Oliver's grin widened. "She asked mae fer a list," he gloated.

"Bloody hell!" Wilks muttered.

"Why was your name written across her... Well her..." Kings hesitated, gesturing to his chest with a wiggle of his finger, shifting under Oliver's glare.

"She asked mae tae."

Groans sounded in the room and for different reasons.

"I want one," Malloy whined.

Oliver's mouth tugged into a smug smile.

"Yer not getting me wife, she's _mine_. Find yer own witch."

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Monday 31st August 1998**

The League Cup Final had arrived, and surprisingly, in just under two weeks the Caerphilly Catapults had risen from fourth place to second place, making it so they were playing Puddlemere for the title. The match had started a little over two hours ago and currently, the scores were close with the Puddlemere at 310 and the Catapults on 300.

Hermione's hands were firmly clasped around the railing, her knuckles white and her breath held as Thompson and the opposing team's Seeker neck and neck with their arms stretched, fingertips reaching for the golden snitch.

Five seconds previously the Catapults had scored, meaning the fate of the game rested on the Seekers' shoulders. It was all to play for.

"Come on, Thompson," Hermione whispered, unable to take her eyes from the two blurs above her. "You can do this. It's just like playing catch the levitated golf ball. I know you can do this."

Leo's smaller form stood beside her, decked out in full Puddlemere clothing; a jersey, a cap that was slightly too big for him and a scarf gripped in his hands as he waved it back and forth in the air, jumping up and down on the spot, screaming and yelling. Coach Burton stood on her other side, his form stiff, his eyes open wide, his clipboard forgotten on the ground and his hands clasped together as if praying. And of course, it wouldn't be complete without Quaffle sporting a Quidditch jersey as he darted about the coach's box, barking excitedly.

And then it happened. She blinked and the commentator was crying out loudly.

"THOMPSON CAUGHT THE SNITCH! PUDDLEMERE WINS THE LEAGUE CUP WITH AN IMPRESSIVE FULL HOUSE AND _FOURTEEN_ CONSECUTIVE WINS AGAINST THEIR OPPONENTS THIS YEAR! A FEAT THAT HASN'T BEEN SEEN IN ALMOST TWO DECADES!"

As the team celebrated in the air, waving their arms and sharing hugs, they flew to the ground and dismounted their brooms, shaking hands with the Catapults before doing a few victory laps, all of the team gathering in the centre of the pitch as the League Cup was flown down to them and handed to Oliver, the sound of cheers and boos roaring from all around.

Quaffle barked madly, Leo jumped and screamed at the top of his lungs, Coach Burton was on the verge of his tears and after Hermione had cried out, punching the air, he reached out and lifted her from the ground, spinning her in circles. Crying and laughing, she was put back on her feet and he crouched down, scratching Quaffle on the head and accepting the licks to his face he bestowed.

Hermione laughed, barely catching Leo when he flung himself at her and she held him against her, hugging him tightly as she in circles. Setting him on his feet, Hermione's laughed when Coach Burton reached for the child and mimicking her actions, setting him on his feet with a ruffle of his hair.

The team soon made their appearance, being out of breath and sweaty from the heat and their hard work. Oliver was the first to touch down on the ground and in a rare moment of happiness, Coach Burton pulled him into a hug before drawing back and taking the cup from him, staring at it with teary eyes.

His eyes sought Hermione's immediately, being unsurprised when she appeared before him in a blink of an eye and she jumped towards him, Oliver catching her and holding her to him as she wrapped her legs around him.

A laugh fell from his mouth, seeing her overjoyed expression, her cheeks flushed, her smile wide and tears falling down her cheeks. Leaning down, she kissed him, stealing his breath and his senses. That was a kiss that promised something far greater when they were alone.

"I have never been prouder," she exclaimed both in happiness and to be heard over the cheering crowd.

She drew back from him, moving to hug the other members of the team, being greeted similarly to how Coach Burton had hugged her and Oliver ran his hand through Quaffle's fur when he bounded over to him. Oliver made a noise of surprise when he was assaulted by a much smaller and lighter body, his reflexes being the only thing that stopped that smaller body from being dropped to the ground. Blinking in surprise when Leo's arms wrapped around his neck and he held onto him tightly, he cried,

"You did it, Mr. Wood! You did it! Your team won!" He drew back, showing his red face, bright smile and tears falling down his face.

Oliver felt a smile tug at his mouth and he laughed when the young child hugged him once more, not seeing Hermione's expression softening of the melting of her heart at their interaction.

After being visited by those that filled the family box, the team headed to the conference room in order to give their victory statement and interview. After posing for more photos and answering more questions than Hermione thought necessary, even with the winning of the League Cup, the team disappeared into the locker room to shower and ready for an entire night of celebrating. Hermione, however, had her first NEWT examination the next morning and couldn't risk missing it.

"Come on, Hermione, you _have_ to come with us. We won the cup!" Thompson exclaimed to the team's cheers.

"I would love to come and celebrate with you, I really would, but I can't. I have my first NEWT exam in the morning."

"Surely you can spare some time," Bishop pouted.

"I'm afraid I can't. I have my potions exam followed by my ancient runes exam in the morning. Then after lunch, I have my potions practical, followed by my transfiguration practical."

Looks of surprise and pity greeted her.

"Then we'll have to celebrate extra hard at our next win of the season," Pallie remarked. "And we _will_ win!"

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Friday 11th September 1998**

With the end of the Quidditch season and the winning of the League Cup, brought the arrival and completion of Hermione's NEWTs and the first Ministry Ball celebrating the ending of the war, something Hermione hadn't enjoyed. Oliver had attended with her, as expected, and his presence had made the night a little more bearable but she'd struggled to keep her composure under the many gawking stares of the other attendees. And now that Hermione had been officially and publically awarded her Order of Merlin: First Class, she hoped she could truly put the past and the war behind her.

Currently, Hermione was completing the last-minute checks as she was preparing to leave for her long-overdue honeymoon. Whilst they'd be away for two weeks, the twins had agreed to watch Quaffle and Ali whilst Thompson took care of the apartment, the Seeker promising not to bring anyone back in their absence despite the wards preventing him from doing so.

"Sparrow? Ye ready yet?" Asked Oliver as he stepped into their bedroom. "The port-key leaves in ten minutes."

"I'm ready. Won't you tell me where we're going?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p'.

"But how do I know that I packed for the correct weather and environment if you don't tell me?"

"If ye havnae got something ye need we'll purchase it when we get there."

"Get where?" She fished.

"Ye'll find oot in less than ten minutes," he chuckled.

Scowling, Hermione shrunk down her suitcase and slipped it into her beaded bag along with Oliver's.

~000~000~000~

**Hawaii**

Landing, Hermione lost her footing and Oliver chuckled before helping her to her feet, Hermione being too busy taking in the white sandy beach, blue ocean, sea breeze and heat to grumble or notice.

"Where are we?"

"We, me beautiful wife, are on a _private_ wizarding island. A hidden an' an undiscovered Hawaiian island."

"Hawaii?" She spluttered.

"Aye," he nodded, amused by her wide-eyed and mouth falling open reaction.

"A _private_ island?" She checked.

"Aye, the owner rents it oot tae celebrities," he shrugged. "When he heard the names Oliver Wood an' Hermione Granger, he was more than willing tae have us here. We have it fer twa weeks. We have access tae the town through the floo so we can go shopping, have dinner an' explore the historic sites an' street market. Apparently, there's some fascinating wizarding history in Hawaii, something anno ye'll love. An' don' hit mae but we've a house-elf tha' will be attending tae us fer the duration af our stay. From what a can tell, they're treated well."

"I was right though, minimal clothing," she rolled her eyes.

"Obviously, a want ye in minimal clothing. But first..."

He set his hands on her hips and turned her to around, showing the beautiful white modern beach house that sat not far from the shoreline. Guiding her forward, Oliver swooped down and lifted Hermione into his arms, carrying her into the house as she gave a squeak of surprise which was followed by a laugh.

After a quick search through the house, they discovered an open planned kitchen and dining area, a living room with a dominating fireplace, four bathrooms and four bedrooms. Upon the discovery of the master suite, they unpacked their belongings with Hermione quietly taking in the king-sized bed, walk-in wardrobe, light wood flooring and the black and gold colour scheme.

After changing into more appropriate clothing, Oliver sporting blue swimming trunks and Hermione a black bikini, sunglasses and a tan sun hat, they stepped out of the patio doors, and straight onto the beach, Hermione happily taking a seat on the beach towel laid on the sand as she worked on editing one of her fifth year journals with Oliver lying beside her, taking in the sun, sea and silence.

Upon the realisation that she hadn't applied any sunscreen and she was prone to burning, she was certain to correct that mistake, having Oliver rub the cool lotion into her back as she couldn't reach. Despite his assurances he didn't want or need any, Hermione applied it to his back anyway, not wishing to have to deal with his cries when he got sunburnt. One moment she was rubbing the lotion into his back and shoulders and the next, she was on her back with Oliver barely stopping himself from collapsing on top of her as he moved to lay beside her, after an innocent kiss had led to sex.

"Ye'll have tae give mae a few minutes, Sparrow," Oliver muttered when Hermione moved to straddle him barely ten minutes later, biting at her lip, her hands pressed against his chest and her fingers tickling his skin.

"Well, we should make the most of the time we have."

"Why?" He arched an eyebrow.

"My cycle's due in a few days and you know what that means."

"What?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

"No sex for five to seven days." A laugh of surprise fell from her when her back hit the sand and Oliver hovered above her, his gaze heated and intense. "That was a speedy recovery," she commented, feeling the hard length nudging against her stomach.

"Like ye said, we have tae make the most af it."

Reaching for her, he tugged her to her feet, lifted her into his arms and headed for the water, Hermione pushing away from him and playfully splashing him in the face. They laughed and teased and swam until they found each other in the water once more.

~000~000~000~

**Hawaii - Saturday 19th September 1998**

Upon the morning of Hermione's nineteenth birthday, Hermione's eyes fluttered open to the beaming smile of her husband who showered her with compliments and breakfast in bed, which he took no part in making for fear of poisoning Hermione and he left it to the house-elf.

After gifting her the biggest bouquet of flowers she'd ever seen, Oliver set two wrapped gift boxes before her, one larger than the other. Eyeing the largest one first, she was quick and meticulous with the removal and folding of the wrapping paper before peering inside the box to see a shrunken down broom, one Oliver might teach her to fly with.

The second gift, Hermione's eyes had widened and a gasp had fallen from her lips upon the opening of the black velvet box. Sitting atop the silk cushion had been a silver chain fitted with a beautiful pendant. Silver had been warped as a representation of petals with diamonds embedded into the metal, and a tanzanite gem sat in the centre.

"Oliver, it's beautiful but far too expensive, you never should've spent so much," said Hermione, worrying at her lip. "Why do you insist on such items?"

His mouth tugged into a smile and he reached up, pushing her hair behind her ear and out of her face.

"Tanzanite's one af the most precious an' rarest gemstones in the world, an' yer a one af a kind witch. Tanzanite's the closest a can get tae getting ye a one af a kind piece af jewellery, tha's why a have them custom made. A don' care fer the cost 'coz yer worth it. Yer worth ev'ry galleon a spent having it made."

~000~000~000~

Strolling along the streets and perusing the market stalls of Muggle Hawaii, Hermione and Oliver basked in the heat and sun beaming down on them, walking hand in hand.

Much to Oliver's delight, Hermione was free of makeup and Glamour Charms, all scars and tattoos on display to the world without a care in the world, showing her growing confidence in her body. That hot day she'd opted for a pink playsuit that fell to mid-thigh with thin shoulder straps keeping the garment held up and she wore matching sandals on her feet. Beside her, Oliver sported clean white trainers, blue knee-length shorts, his t-shirt being carried in his free hand, having removed it sometime earlier, his skin a shade darker due to the continuous exposure to the sun.

Oliver was thoroughly enjoying the heat and sun and was considering moving to the island upon his retirement from Quidditch, wishing to do nothing but lounge about in the sun and spend his days on the beach and walking market stalls with his wife. Something he was certain Hermione would disagree with. She would never leave the Weasleys behind. Still, it was nice to dream.

They'd already perused the market stalls twice and with several bags of gifts shrunken down and hidden in Hermione's beach tote bag, they stopped for lunch in a lovely little cafe, trying some of the most popular and better-known cuisine on the menu.

After visiting another market area, they took their leave and returned to the house, having dinner on the beach. Afterwards, Oliver had been able to convince Hermione to get on her broom and they'd flown over the private island of their staying, discovering a large jungle area with a waterfall, something they'd decided to explore the following day.

Upon their return to the ground, Hermione took the opportunity to encourage Oliver to continue with his attempt to conjure a Patronus, something he'd started after her moving in with him. Currently, he was able to conjure a blue-silver wisp of smoke, but it had yet to take a form or shape, something she knew upset him.

"You have to believe you can do it," Hermione reminded softly, seeing his put out frown.

"Am trying, Sparrow," he grumbled in frustration, raising his wand and saying the incantation once more.

"No, stop," she instructed, drawing closer to him and standing before him, tipping her head back to lock gazes with him. "You don't believe you can do it, but you can. _You_ made Captain of Puddlemere. _You_ help lead your team to victory week after week. _You_ won the League Cup, not only after a war, but, for the club, the first time in seven years. _You_ punched Viktor Bloody Krum in the _face._ " She saw his mouth twitch into a smile, his expression softening. "I love you and I believe in you. You should believe in yourself, just look at everything you've accomplished. Now, try again. Close your eyes, find your happy place, think happy thoughts and focus."

She tipped her head slightly, observing as his eyes closed, he slowed his breathing and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Raising his wand, he said, " _Expecto_ _Patronum,_ " a blue-silver wisp of smoke pouring from the tip of his wand. Hermione smiled.

"Keep concentrating, Oliver, you've almost got it," she said encouragingly, seeing the smoke began to take shape. "Almost there, Oliver, it's taking shape."

A laugh suddenly fell from her, Oliver's eyes opening to see blue-silver cheetah, circling above their heads.

"The cheetah; determination, passion, protection, survival, adaptability and focus," Hermione told him with a beaming smile.

Shaking his head from the shock of actually being able to conjure a Patronus, he smiled and reached out, his arms circling her and tugging her to him so he could plant a kiss on her mouth.

"I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it," she praised.

Smiling down at her, he said, "A _really_ want tae ravish ye right now."

"And I really want you to do that, but I feel icky," she grimaced. He chuckled at her, pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged him against her, watching the cheetah above.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment – Sunday 27th September 1998**

"It's good to be home," Hermione sighed, catching herself on the back of the couch to right her balance, having just port-keyed into the apartment.

"You're back!" Thompson exclaimed happily, all but running towards her and picking her up in his arms, Hermione laughing and demanding that he put her down and that she was getting dizzy. "I'm so glad you're back, I don't know how you lived here on your own," he looked to Oliver. "It's _so_ boring," he grumbled. "Did you _have_ to steal her away for two weeks?"

"A think yer forgetting who's wife she is," Oliver rolled his eyes. "A wanted it tae be longer but Hermione said she'd miss Quaffle," Oliver shrugged.

"I have your mail," Thompson told them, summoning two piles of mail and handing the appropriate collection to each of them.

Hermione, searching through her pile of mail, dropped the entire stack carelessly onto the floor when she found the envelope she was searching for. One that held the Ministry wax seal.

Thompson and Oliver observed her closely, seeing Hermione's tight grip on the parchment and her eyes scanning the words it held anxiously.

"All O's" she cried happily, jumping towards Oliver who chuckled and held her as she sniffled.

"How many NEWTs did you take?" Thompson asked curiously, looking unsurprised with the reveal of her results, knowing how clever she was.

"Twelve," Hermione replied, drawing back from Oliver and wiping beneath her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Well, I want to go and pick Quaffle and Ali up, see the family and tell them the news. We got you a gift but we'll give it to you later," she smiled. "Oh, I need to have a meeting with my editor now that I'm back, too," she said to herself. "I've finished all my journals and they're ready to be printed and published," Hermione grinned. "My deadline was November."

"And you've finished in September, what a surprise," Thompson said sarcastically and Oliver snorted when Hermione slapped him over the back of the head.

"When you're done being bitchy, we have a surprise party to get to."

Oliver and Thompson shared a glance.

"What do you mean?" They asked quickly.

Hermione snorted. "You don't seriously think that I didn't know, do you? My birthday landed on our honeymoon, of course, there was going to throw a party when we got. Let me freshen up and we can leave in ten minutes."

Turning, she headed for her bedroom.

 _Honestly, they're too predictable,_ she thought.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 14

**Hogwarts – Saturday 3rd October 1998**

"Thank you all for attending this morning's breakfast," said Professor McGonagall, the great hall immediately falling quiet at her addressing. “I know that it is a weekend and you have no reason to attend at such an early hour, however, I have asked you all here this morning as we have two special guests visiting." At her words, the hall broke out into whispers. "I wish to introduce to you, Mrs. Hermione and Mr. Oliver Wood."

The hall broke out into noise; cheers, gasps and murmurs as Hermione and Oliver walked out hand in hand from a door to the left behind the head’s table and Quaffle followed behind them. They came to a stop before the head’s table, looking out at the students.

With the weather turning cold as winter quickly approached, Oliver sported blue jeans, white trainers and a white t-shirt that fitted to his body with a black jacket over the top. Hermione had opted for blue skinny jeans, black heeled ankle boots and a black off the shoulder long-sleeved t-shirt with a grey cardigan over the top.

As Hermione’s eyes darted about the whispering students, she was haunted by the memories of the bodies that had littered the grounds of the castle, particularly those that had been in the great hall after they were unable to be healed or helped due to their injuries.

"We don' have tae do this," Oliver muttered softly, giving her hand a squeeze.

Hermione turned to look at him, taking a deep breath. "But I want to; I have to do this for myself. This is where my life started and this is where the book tour starts," she replied. "This was home, it should be done here." He smiled before pressing a kiss to her temple, hearing the grumbles and awes. "It's good to be home," Hermione addressed the hall. "For those that don't know, I'm Hermione and this is my husband, Oliver," she introduced, looking down at Quaffle when he barked, she and Oliver chuckling. "And this is our dog, Quaffle," she added, reaching out to run her hand through his fur.

"Anyway, as you may know, I have written a series of books regarding what really happened during the last seven years of my life. I believe that it is important that everyone knows what was sacrificed so that you can now live in peace. From the best Headmaster, Hogwarts had ever seen to house-elves and casualties of the First War. It is important to know where we came from so that mistakes are not repeated. Today, I am here to give you all a free copy of my first book which is set to be released to the public in two hour’s time. Aside from my family and my editor, you will be the first people in the world to see and read the first book."

As the hall filled with excited chatter, Hermione opened her beaded bag, twenty shrunken down boxes levitating out of it and settling on the floor. Once she resized them, she flicked her wand until a copy of the book found a home hovering out of reach of each student and professor.

"I have written a total of seven books and my first book is entitled _The Philosopher's Stone'_ , containing details of the events of my first year. For you older students who were here at the time I was, you may have heard rumours but this book will explain the true happenings. There is also a section dedicated to the research and discovering of why and how Muggleborns are born. During my time here, Professor McGonagall and I thought it peculiar that I appeared to be powerful witch given my Muggleborn status, and as such, we did some digging into my ancestry were we discovered that I have over eight generations of Squib magic on both my mother’s and father’s side. It was at this point that we realised that Muggleborns truly don’t steal magic but rather, it is a build-up of suppressed Squib magic that finally presents itself in a thought to be Muggle lineage.” She paused a moment to allow them the opportunity to fully digest her words before saying, “We will be at Hogwarts until tomorrow dinner time and should you wish to speak to me, you may do so. Additionally, Oliver will be offering flying lessons and advice to the house Quidditch teams, or to any who may wish to pursue a career as a professional athlete."

The excitement in the room grew and the girls smiled when Oliver beamed a dazzling smile and Hermione rolled her eyes when he looked pleased with himself.

"I hope that my first book will shed some light on what really happened during my first year, and my editor and I have to come to an agreement in which, my books will be released monthly, with the release for my second book being mid-November. For those in second year and above, you will receive free copies of the books for your required year, this year only.”

With that, the books lowered to the tables, Hermione watching as the students curiously flipped through the pages, feeling Oliver giving her hand a squeeze. Tugging her forward, they slowly made their way past each table, greeting the students with Quaffle basking in the attention he received. 

"How are you?" Hermione asked Dean, Seamus and Neville when they reached the Gryffindor table.

"We're good,” answered Dean. “Classes aren't that bad, at least history of magic won't be boring now that your books are on the reading list."

"I can't wait to finally see what you got up to," Seamus added.

"There’s a lot," she admitted and they snorted at her.

"Are we mentioned?" Neville asked.

"You are," she nodded, snorting when they reached for their own copies and flipped through the pages in search of their names.

Leaving them to it, they continued with their greeting until they neared the Slytherin table, Hermione hearing a call of her name.

"Granger!"

Lifting her head and turning her eyes away from the shy first year witch, she spied Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, gathered in the centre of the table. Rolling her eyes, she slowly approached with Quaffle by her side, leaving Oliver to speak with some of the first years about the winning of the League Cup.

"It's Wood," she corrected, stopping opposite them. 

"It doesn't feel right calling you Wood,” he grimaced. “I'm sticking with Granger."

It had taken some time but she and Malfoy had been able to put aside their differences after the war. After saving his life during the battle, he’d sent her a letter, apologising for his transgressions. A part of her had wanted to tell him to shove his apology up his arse but as the years passed in Hogwarts, she’d seen the changes in him when others hadn’t, especially from the start of fourth year and he’d looked positively terrible during fifth and sixth year. It was at that point she realised he’d had to do things to survive, just as she did. They were on separate sides of the war and despite that, he hadn’t ratted them out when they’d been brought to his manor. He could’ve been killed for that and he’d known that. He’d risked his life that day even if he had stood back and allowed her torture to happen.

The war was over and they were no longer children, there was no point in holding grudges anymore, and so, she’d forgiven him, even going as far as to help him rise to the Head of the Malfoy House and having his assets unfrozen.

Malfoy sent a look to the teen wizards sat opposite him and they were quick to vacate, there being three empty spaces before her.

"You could've just asked nicely," she told him disapprovingly.

"Malfoys don't ask for things, they should already be done."

"Of course, you don't," she rolled her eyes with a sigh before taking a seat on the bench, Quaffle jumping up beside her and she snorted before running her hand through his fur. "Quaffle!" Hermione scolded, hearing sniggers and laughter when Quaffle reached into the middle of the table and stole a sausage from the platter. "You've already had breakfast and I know for a fact Oliver gave you a pancake," she scowled, looking up to see Malfoy smirking and Nott and Zabini sniggering. "It's not funny," she huffed.

"It is," he argued, eyeing her dog with interest. "You took your NEWTs out of school, didn’t you? Have you received your results yet?”

"Yes, twelve O's."

"Twelve," he spluttered, Hermione seeing Zabini slapping Nott on the back as he choked on his tea. 

“Twelve,” she confirmed, looking to Quaffle when she saw movement from the corner of her eyes, seeing him stealing bacon from the plate of the wizard beside him. "I give in," she sighed, scowling at their sniggers.

"Is that a... _Tattoo_?" Nott questioned, his eyes narrowed on her collarbone, spying the ink peeking out from beneath her clothing.

"It is," she nodded, his eyes widening whilst Malfoy and Zabini's attention snapped to her.

"Never expected that," he muttered with a shake of his head.

"Never would have expected you to be paired with Wood either," Zabini commented.

Unsurprised, she lifted her arm and tugged at her sleeve, showing the golden band wrapped around her wrist.

"Never mind, it makes perfect sense," Malfoy commented. She cleared her throat, drawing his eyes from her wrist and back to her. "So, what are you doing after you leave?"

"Book tour, I'm promoting all seven of my books. Oliver's coming with me and we're going to be port-keying between our apartment and the countries on our tour. We're starting in London before moving to Scotland, which his followed by Ireland and then Wales. After that, we're going European, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Greece and Switzerland. We’re going to do a trial run in America, visiting some of the major States and if all goes well, we’ll consider going to Asia. Given that training season’s around the corner, we don’t have time to do much else.”

~000~000~000~

"It's weird," Hermione commented.

"It is,” Oliver agreed, his eyes darting about the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. “A never thought a'd be back here. Hoo are ye feeling?" He asked her, knowing how hard it was for her to return to Hogwarts after the Final Battle.

"Better than I thought I’d be, but it's easier knowing I'm only going to be here a day or two and I can leave whenever I wish or need to."

When she laid her cheek against his shoulder, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before his eyes darted towards the entrance of the pitch, spying the crowd moving to gather in the centre, their jumble of voices carrying in the wind.

Her mouth tugging into a smile, knowing they were there for _him_ , she summoned his broom from her beaded bag and resized it, handing it to him. He pressed a kiss to her mouth before standing from his perched position in the stands and descending to the pitch, Hermione quite happy to watch him interact with the students as he offered advice and flying lessons, briefly drawing her attention away from him when a student would approach her, wishing to ask for her autograph.

As dinner approached and Hermione heard the rumble in her stomach, she and Quaffle headed for the pitch, and as she approached, voices flittered to her ears, being carried by the wind. There was a sixth year Ravenclaw, a seventh year Slytherin and a fifth year Gryffindor batting their eyelashes, giggling and the older of the witches, _innocently_ touching Oliver’s arm.

Hermione couldn’t stop it. Jealousy flared within as if a dying fire had been administered more oxygen or fluid, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes narrowed.

"I trust _my_ _husband_ has offered helpful advice into becoming a professional athlete or improving your flying technique," said Hermione, halting beside Oliver who looked relieved to see her.

The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor nodded quickly and made themselves scarce under her frightening expression, but the Slytherin held her ground, folding her arms over her chest.

"Mr. Wood has been _very_ attentive," the blonde replied innocently.

Hermione felt the rumbling growl in the back of her throat and barely suppressed it, reaching up on her tiptoes and whispering to Oliver,

"The full moon’s two days away. I can feel the pull."

He cleared his throat, giving her a knowing look before turning to the blonde schoolgirl.

"Well, Miss, remember what a told ye an’ yer flying will be jus’ fine. If ye’ll excuse mae, me wife an’ a better best get ready fer dinner."

His hand slipping around hers, he tugged her away and across the pitch, releasing a whistle that had Quaffle following after them, the dog having stayed behind to watch the younger witch suspiciously.

Hermione soon snatched her hand from his and quietly stormed away, Oliver blinking in surprise and confusion as he struggled to keep up with her fast strides, following her to the library. She swept through the doors and navigated the maze of books until she reached the Restricted Section, Oliver, admittedly, feeling worried.

"What are ye doin’?" He asked her warily, being annoyed that she’d ignored his attempts to speak with her during the journey.

She slowly perused the bookcases, her finger hovering before each of the book spines but not touching, as she searched from one side to the other.

"Searching for _101 Most Painful Hexes_ ,” she replied airily despite her anger being obvious.

"Oh, come on, Sparrow," he laughed.

She whirled around to face him.

"You did nothing! They were flirting with you and you did _nothing_!" She hissed furiously.

"Yer not being serious, are ye? They’re only _school_ _children_. Yer me wife, _a love ye_ , an’ ye know a’d never want anyone else, not with our bond. They don' stand a chance against ye. There's naw reason tae be jealous."

"You don't get it, do you? It's so hard for me,” she argued. “I know we share the bond, I know you’d never cheat on me or entertain the idea and I know I shouldn’t feel jealous, but I have both the werewolf and lioness traits within me. They are both territorial beings, I can't help the way I feel, no matter how hard I try or how many times I tell myself there’s nothing to worry about. I can't control it and I can't stop it and they will always be a part of me. And it doesn't help that the full moon’s two days away! When Viktor propositioned me, you punched him in the face. I showed restraint with that witch, I wanted to hex her and did I? No!"

Oliver's expression softened and he released a sigh. "Yer right, a don' know hoo ye feel or what's happening tae ye, an’ am sorry fer not saying anything tae dissuade their behaviour. Usually, am turning away women in night clubs; a havnae had tae do it to _children_. A thought they were harmless."

"Harmless,” she scoffed. “One of them was of age. Hardly a child."

"Am sorry, next time something like tha’ happens a’ll set them straight," he promised.

She didn't look placated in the least and he could see her anger morphing into sadness as her shoulders slumped and her head lowered. Reaching out, he hugged her against him, Hermione melting into his embrace as she fought back the tears.

"I’m sorry," she whispered into his chest. "I don't want you to think I don't trust you, because I do. It's them..."

"Them ye don' trust," he interrupted. "A understand, an’ a should be making this easier fer ye with the full moon almost here, instead af making things difficult,” he admitted. “But a don' think McGonagall would appreciate ye hexing a student, even if they were af age an’ deserving af it."

"No, she wouldn't," Hermione agreed.

"A love ye an’ only ye, Sparrow."

"I love you, too," she sighed in reply.

His fingers came up to her chin and gently tipped her head back, leaning down to steal a kiss. The kiss quickly turned into something more when Oliver had her pinned against a bookcase with her legs were wrapped around him. Her jeans and underwear were magicked off and his jeans and boxers had been dropped to his ankles as his hips snapped against hers, her back arching and her hands pinned in place above her head. When he brought her to her release and she cried out his name and clamped around him, she leaned forward and her teeth sunk into his scarred neck, drawing his release from him.

Once they’d recovered, Cleaning Charms were cast and clothing was slipped on and righted, they made their way out of the library, spying Quaffle laid on the ground in the middle of the library, basking in the attention of the young girls that surrounded him, cooing at him as they scratched his stomach. Upon his notice of their appearance, he soon followed them out of the library and towards the great hall for dinner.

"Another fantasy ticked aff," Oliver remarked.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Library," he grinned at her. “There’s something aboot havin’ ye in the library tha’s always appealed tae mae.”

"Me too," she admitted.

"What?" He halted to a stop, pulling her with him.

"Me too,” she repeated.

"Ye said ye dinnae have any fantasies."

"I didn't, but now I realised the Hogwarts’ library is... well, _was,_ one."

He looked far too pleased with her revelation.

"Make mae a list?"

"Working on it," she nodded, seeing his grin as he wriggled his eyebrows, making her laugh.

~000~000~000~

**Germany - Thursday 12th November 1998**

Hermione hadn't been feeling well, as of late. If she wasn’t exhausted or easily tired, she found the simplest of things irritated her and she had a habit of snapping at anyone who annoyed or upset her. She found herself crying at off times and over ridiculously stupid reasons, such as Quaffle’s adorable sneeze or Oliver buying her a bouquet of flowers just because he’d felt like it.

Having no idea what was wrong with her or what was affecting her mood, she’d simply blamed it on stress. For the last four weeks, she’d been travelling around the world by means of port-key in order to complete the criteria for her book tour expected by the publishing company.

Training season had begun the previous week, bringing with it the newly implemented charity and international warm-up games, allowing for the building of relationships between the countries participating, or as Hermione like to think of it, the international teams scouting their competition, so they might know what they were up against as well as possibly poaching players from other teams. Given that the World Cup was held every four years, the players were often scouted from local teams of their nation, allowing for the selection of the best players in the country and they spent one year training whilst the other three years they returned to their current teams.

Going into week two of the training season, Puddlemere had already played against teams from Spain, Portugal and France and they were currently in Germany, their match schedule for the following day. Hermione knew they were expected to travel to Ireland and Italy and attend the scheduled matches before they returned to Britain the following Thursday, something she couldn’t wait for. The hotels the club paid for were nice but she missed her own bed and her own food, something she hoped was a factor of her shifting mood.

It was the most ridiculous things that seemed to anger her, the team laughing too loud, Oliver refusing to get out of bed, Oliver leaving towels on the floor and not putting his dirty laundry back in his suitcase. She’d even snapped at the room service attendant for not bringing their food quickly enough and for forgetting the extra bacon she ordered.

Everyone was walking on eggshells around her, even Malloy kept his mouth shut when she was nearby, fearing that she’d draw her wand on him and she had been a little trigger happy lately.

Currently, Oliver was in Pallie's hotel room along with the rest of the team doing Merlin knows what and she had just exited the bathroom, running her hands over her face tiredly before she flopped onto the large bed with a sigh.

She giggled and ran a hand through Quaffle’s fur when he crawled over to her, bestowing licks to her face. She finally managed to push him back from her but she rose onto her elbows, her brow furrowing in confusion when Quaffle laid beside her, nudging her stomach with his nose.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, perplexed by his behaviour.

She observed as he nosed the hem of her t-shirt up, revealing her stomach, his cold nose pressing against her skin as he visibly sniffed at her. She tipped her head when a whining noise sounded from him and he gently settled his paw below her bellybutton.

 _Strange,_ Hermione thought, reaching up to run her hand through his fur.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, knowing he couldn’t answer her but that didn’t stop him from understanding and purposefully nosing at her stomach. "I don't understand," she admitted, her dog nosing at stomach once more before his eyes seemed to land on her wand that sat at the foot of the bed.

Following his gaze and frowning, she pushed herself into a sitting position, dislodging Quaffle from her and she reached for her wand.

“Now what?” She asked her dog.

In response, he nosed at her, setting his paw against her stomach once more. Hermione tipped her head in confusion, knowing that he was clearly trying to convey something but she honestly didn’t know what. She couldn’t connect the dots. Quaffle seemed to huff in annoyance before nosing at her, gently scratching his paw over her and he lifted his eyes to her, an almost humming noise leaving him.

It took her a moment or two but she finally understood what he was he was trying to tell her.

Hermione could count on one hand the number of times she’d heard Quaffle make that strange noise, as well as the times he’d exhibited such behaviour and it was always and only when he was around Fleur. Fleur who was pregnant, her stomach swelling as the due date drew closer. 

Haven frozen, she was brought back to reality by Quaffle licking her face and she took a sharp inhale, her eyes closing.

Lifting her wand in a shaking hand and pressing it against her stomach, it took several attempts to whisper the words,

" _Reprehendo Graviditate_."

Several tense moments of silence passed and then Hermione felt it. Her eyes fluttering open, she saw the dull blue glow emitting from the tip of her wand, it slowly brightening until it stung her eyes.

Her wand fell from her grasp, rolling across the bed and onto the floor with a clatter, her hand moving to press against her flat stomach.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, her eyes blurring with tears as she turned to look at Quaffle, seeing him gazing up at her. Quaffle seemed to nod in agreement. "I'm pregnant," she repeated louder.

Silence fell in the room before the dam burst and tears fell from her eyes, sobs of happiness, fear and disbelief wracking her as she clung to Quaffle, her tears wetting his fur. 

She was incredibly happy that she could give Oliver a child. She was in disbelief that she _was_ giving him a child. And she was terrified that something might go wrong and there’d be complications with the pregnancy given all that her body had suffered over the years, not to mention, she’d never been a mother before and she had no idea what was expected of her. And she was only nineteen! She was practically still a child herself no matter what Wizarding Law said.

Managing to pull herself away from Quaffle, she retrieved her wand from the ground and cast the Pregnancy Charm again, then again and once more for good measure.

Four positive results.

She was pregnant.

Her sobs grew louder as her hands lay against her stomach, a child growing beneath them.

She was going to be a mother.

~000~000~000~

**Brazil - Saturday 14th November 1998**

They were now in Brazil; they’d arrived during the early hours of the morning and Hermione had struggled to keep herself from being sick upon her landing.

It had been two days since she’d discovered she was pregnant and she’d yet to tell Oliver. She didn't know how to. It wasn't something that you could just slip into a conversation and she had been trying to think of a way to tell him but so far she hadn’t had any luck or ideas.

After she’d finished with her sobbing, she’d left Quaffle in her hotel room and made a quick dash to nearby a book shop, being mindful to use Glamours as to not be seen or recognised. She didn’t want to be seen buying books on motherhood or pregnancy before she’d even had the chance to tell Oliver or digest the news herself. When she returned to the hotel and with a simple Translator Charm, she’d had the words legible and she’d made a start on reading, wishing to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible, especially about the first trimester, given that was the stage she was currently facing. When Oliver had returned, she’d been sure to hide the books from him, leaving him none the wiser.

When he’d disappeared into the bathroom, she hadn’t been able to resist casting a charm to determine how far along she was in the pregnancy and given the results, if her math was correct, the baby had been conceived on the 16th of October, putting her a little over four weeks pregnant. In the books, she’d read that apparition and port-keying were perfectly fine for the baby until around the fourth month, and she’d learned that some experienced mood swings around the fourth week of pregnancy, so everything was going to plan.

Oliver was currently sleeping behind her, his arm curled over her waist and face buried in her neck. She hadn’t been able to sleep and she’d been staring at the door for Merlin knows how long, and then inspiration struck. Unable to stop the smile that played at her lips, Hermione carefully extracted from Oliver’s hold (something that wasn’t easy) and she was quick to dress.

Heading down to the front desk, she placed an order for breakfast and returned to her room, stepping inside to see Oliver’s tired scowl as he propped himself up on his elbows, the blanket pooling around his waist, his bare chest free to her gaze.

He hated it when he woke to an empty bed.

"I was just ordering breakfast," Hermione explained, holding her hands up in defence.

Removing her jacket and shoes, she crossed over to the bed, Oliver tugging her to lay against his chest and a sigh slipped from her as her fingers ghosted over his warm skin.

"I'm really sorry I've been a pain these last few days. I'm just really tired and my body's aching all the damn time."

“Yer always a pain,” he teased, sniggering when she lightly slapped his chest. “Are you okay?” He asked, all teasing aside and his concern bleeding into his words. “The full moon was over a week ago, it shouldn't be affecting ye at this point."

"It's not the full moon making me this way," Hermione said lightly and before Oliver could reply, there was a knock at the door.

Drawing back from him, she climbed from the bed and headed for the door, opening it to reveal room service and after giving a tip, the tray levitated into the room. Hermione crossed to the bed, the tray following as she took a seat beside Oliver and it settled before them on the mattress, Hermione having ordered bacon, pancakes, two glasses of orange juice, two cups of tea and the morning newspaper.

Lifting the newspaper and running her eyes over the already translated text, she sipped from her tea, watching from the corner of her eye as Oliver reached for the covering on the food. When he settled it off to the side and turned back to the food, his eyes widened, his hand froze mid-air in reaching for the fork and his breathing halted.

The stack of chocolate pancakes was piled high and in chocolate sauce, ‘Congratulations! You're going to be a daddy!' had been scrawled across the top beautifully.

His eyes suddenly snapped to her and Hermione nibbled at her lip nervously as she set her tea and the newspaper on the bedside table, along with the tray.

"Are ye..." He hesitated, struggling to complete his question. “Are ye pregnant?”

She nodded, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, her expression softening as tears welled in her eyes. Again. "I am. I received four positive results when casting the charm.”

"Yer pregnant?" He whispered in disbelief.

"I'm pregnant," she confirmed.

Unexpectedly, he pounced, sending falling onto her back and he hovered above her, his mouth soon finding hers.

"Hoo long have ye known?" He drew back from her, his large, expressive eyes locking with hers.

"Only two days. I didn't know how to tell you."

"A'd say chocolate sauce on pancakes works well," he replied softly. She smiled up at him as his fingers softly caressed her cheek. "Hoo far along are ye?"

"From what I’ve been able to determine, four weeks. I bought an armful of books the day I found out and I read that mood swings usually start around the fourth week of pregnancy due to the hormonal change in the body."

"Tha’s explains why yer've been so snappy an’ tired."

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's not yer fault," he grinned. "Merlin! Yer pregnant. A cannae believe yer pregnant!"

"Well, I am."

"What made ye cast the charm? Four weeks is a little early tae suspect pregnancy, isnae it?"

"Quaffle," she answered, seeing his questioningly arched eyebrow. "He was acting odd, he wouldn’t stop sniffing and nudging at my stomach and he made this noise that I’ve only ever heard him make when he’s around Fleur."

"Who's pregnant," he nodded with a smile.

"I'm a little over four weeks pregnant and if my math is correct, the baby’s due in July, and that means that Bill and Fleur's child and our baby will be in the same year at Hogwarts, they’ll grow up together. Of course, July is game season so that might be a bit of an issue," her brow furrowed slightly. “God, I hope I don’t go into labour during a match!”

He shifted above her, getting more comfortable and setting his hand against her stomach, slipping it beneath her clothing to press against her warm skin.

"A cannae believe yer pregnant," he repeated quietly, Hermione being witness to the wetness of his eyes and his expression filled with such joy.

"I don't want anyone to know yet. Four weeks is far too early to be spilling the news, especially when most announcements are made at twelve weeks."

He nodded in agreement, a sudden look of concern crossing his face. "Should ye be travelling so much?"

"Port-keying and apparition is perfectly safe until I reach my fourth month of pregnancy."

"Are ye sure?"

"Yes," she replied confidently.

"Ye shouldn't be working so much,” his brow furrowed. “Yer on yer feet all day an’..."

"Oliver," she interrupted, "I am pregnant, not dying of a disease. I am _perfectly_ healthy and I am fine to work. If I want to, I can sit down. Morning sickness doesn't usually take effect until the sixth week and the only thing that seems to be affecting me at the moment is the mood swings and fatigue, something I associate with the full moon."

"An’ sex?" He questioned, looking worried, hopeful and disappointed.

"Sex is fine,” she snorted. “In fact, I'll have an increased sex drive with all the hormones flooding my body."

He looked pleased, relieved and worried at the same time and she laughed at him.

"A think a like ye bein’ pregnant,” he remarked. “Knowing tha’ yer carrying me child actually makes ye even sexier," he grinned, wriggling his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes. "You won't be saying that when I'm the size of a whale."

"Aye, a will be, in fact..." He deliberately lowered himself against her, Hermione feeling the hardened length hidden by his underwear.

"Now? But I'm hungry," she complained. He chuckled.

"Fine, we can eat first as yer not jus’ eating fer yerself anymore, ye're also feeding our child," he beamed.

Hermione felt her eyes tearing up as she slowly took in his overjoyed expression. Upon the winning of the League Cup, she didn’t think she’d ever see Oliver so happy. She was wrong.

"I love you"

"A love ye, tae, Sparrow." Shifting slightly, he lifted the hem of her t-shirt and pressed a kiss to her flat stomach, just below her bellybutton. “An’ believe it or not, a already love our son."

"Son?" She arched an eyebrow. "It could be a girl," she argued.

"It's a boy. Me family’s only had boys fer as long as anyone can remember, along with only having one child," he shrugged. "We're having a son,” he said confidently. “Now, let's get ye fed so a can ravish me beautiful pregnant wife."

He leaned down and kissed her and she felt all her worries about the pregnancy wash away with his soft touch and infectious smile.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium - Thursday 19th November 1998**

"Alright, you lot, gather ‘round,” instructed Coach Burton. “We've had a good couple of weeks and we’ve won every match against each national team we've played!"

Cheers and applause rang out in the locker room. They were all gathered with their luggage sat by their feet, Oliver stood with Hermione in front of him, her back to his chest, his chin resting atop her head and his hands splayed against her covered stomach. They’d agreed to keep the pregnancy quiet but since discovering the news, Oliver had been hard-pressed to keep his hands to himself, something Hermione was sure the team would notice if they weren’t careful.

And they had noticed.

They’d noticed Oliver’s change in behaviour over the last few days; Oliver always seemed to be touching Hermione in some capacity, more so than usual, at least. His eyes always held concern (despite his face being calm) if Hermione had been on her feet for more than an hour, if she carried something too heavy, or if she had a sudden mood swing and snapped at someone, and yet, his mouth always seemed to be wishing to tug into a smile, something he fought.

They weren’t sure what had changed or happened between them, but they knew it had.

"You have both tomorrow _and_ Saturday for a respite given the seven matches you’ve played in the span of two weeks, and it will _not_ be taken from your allotted holidays, a gift from the bosses. Oh, and I require your signed contracts in my office no later than Wednesday. If you’ve read them, you will know that you’ve all been given a bonus for the winning of the previous season. Now, get yourselves out of here and head home. I will see you on Monday. Enjoy your weekends and don’t do anything stupid... I mean it, Malloy!"

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

As Hermione stepped out of the fireplace with Oliver, Thompson and Quaffle at her side, she had never been happier to be home, but she was met by something she hadn’t been expecting.

Kingsley Shacklebolt standing from the couch and turning to face them.

"Minister?" Oliver questioned, bemused.

"I knew you were expected to return today and your house-elf allowed me to wait here until you returned. I have some urgent business to discuss with you," he said in lieu of a greeting, his expression grave.

"I'll be in my room,” said Thompson, his eyes darting between the Minster and the married couple. “Quaffle, come with me," he instructed, the playful dog bounding after him as he took his leave, giving them some privacy.

Hermione and Oliver shared a glance before moving to take a seat beside one another, the Minister sitting opposite them.

"What did you need to discuss with us?" Hermione asked, an unsettling feeling filling her stomach as Oliver slipped his hand around hers.

"I would've contacted you sooner but I knew you were travelling, and this sort of news isn't something I wished to break through a Patronus or by owl," Kingsley replied.

His words didn’t ease her worry.

"Please, just tell us, you're making me nervous."

Kingsley sighed, his expression softening and filling with concern and sadness. "On Monday the 9th of this month, Ms. Maggie Harrison was found to be dead in her home."

A gasp fell from Hermione’s mouth with Oliver looking to her in confusion. She lifted her gaze to him, showing the tears that filled her eyes as she whispered,

"Leo's mother."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 28

**Wood Apartment - Thursday 19th November 1998**

Oliver felt his stomach knot painfully and bile rose in the back of his throat. He swallowed, his arm slipping around Hermione and pulling her against him as silent tears fell from her eyes. 

"What happened?" Oliver questioned, struggling to voice his words as all he could think about was the little boy who’d quickly become an important fixture in his life. Who would’ve thought that he’d come to care for the shy little boy he’d met at WWW. 

"We are of the belief that Ms. Harrison took her own life."

"Suicide?" He swallowed once more, forcing back the nauseous feeling.

The Minister nodded regretfully. "Diagnostics spells confirm that Ms. Harrison ingested twice the lethal amount of Bloodroot Potion. The Law Enforcement Department was able to trace her last known movements, which led them to Knockturn Alley. Witness accounts state she was seen purchasing the potion after pawning her wedding ring."

Hermione gave a little sob, her face burying in Oliver’s chest as he tightened his hold on her.

"Leo? Where is he?” Hermione sniffled. “His mother was all he had. His father died in the War, both parents were an only child and the Grandparents died before he was born."

"That is why I am here, Hermione,” he began softly. “When searching her belongings, a suicide note was discovered. To summarise, she stated that she couldn't continue living without her husband and she knew she was harming her son, she knew she was neglecting his needs and she didn’t wish to live with the choices she had made. Her last wish, and it was clearly stated, was that Hermione Granger now Wood and her husband, be given sole custody of her only child, Leo Harrison."

"What?" They both whispered, appearing to be as surprised as they were upon learning the news of her suicide.

"Maggie Harrison waived her parental rights and made you and your husband Leo Harrison's legal carers and guardians before her death."

"Why would she do that?" Hermione asked, bemused.

"She did not specify her reasons. However, I took a moment to speak with Leo. He's spoken very little since learning of his mother's death, but he did tell me all that you have done for him. He told me that he feels safe when he's with you."

A sob fell from her as her head lowered and Oliver was quick to excuse them, guiding Hermione to their bedroom and closing the door behind them. Once they had their privacy, she clung to him, her face burying in his chest, her hands clutching as his shirt and her body shaking. He felt a single tear streak down his face, doing his best to fight back the remainder. He wasn’t certain how many times he’d cried in his life, but he knew it was no more than the digits on his hands. But right now, he had to be strong for his wife. She needed him, and so did the little wizard who’d lost his mother to such tragic circumstances.

"What do we do?" Said Hermione, her words difficult to understand through her muffled cries. "We have a baby on the way but I can't leave him. Not after his mother did that to him. He’s so young! What must he think?!"

“Anno,” Oliver began softly, one hand smoothing her hair back from her face and the other rubbing comforting circles on her back. “An’ tha's why we’re gonna bring him intae the family. _Officially_."

Hermione drew back from him, her puffy, red eyes wide and her mouth parting.

"What?" She choked.

"Technically, we’re already his guardians, anno ye love him an’ a've spent enough time with him tae come tae care aboot him an’ his well-bein’. A want what's best fer him, an’ what's best fer him is _us_. We _can_ make him happy. We _can_ give him a happy an’ bright future an’ our family will dote on him."

"And the baby? Oliver, I only told you five days ago, I’ve only known a week myself. Are you ready for the responsibility of being a father not only to a newborn, but to a nine-year-old, too? That’s a lot of responsibility, particularly for a professional athlete that has such an intense training schedule, and I work the same hours as you, too."

"Sparrow, am over the moon tha’ yer pregnant with our baby,” he began, pushing her hair back from her face. “But we did say we could adopt if ye weren't able tae have children an’ tha’ little boy needs us. We have family tae help an’ supports us if we need it an’ anno the bosses will be lenient, hoo could they not be? We have more than enough space here, Thompson will be moving oot by the end af the month an’ intae one af the other apartments, it'll jus’ be us an’ the animals. An’ when the baby’s born, he’ll have an older brother."

"It could be a girl," she argued, reaching up to wipe her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"It's a boy," he said confidently.

"And our work hours?"

"Well, am sure Coach will allow us tae bring him tae work with us if needed, honestly, he’s naw bother an’ the team love him. We can take some time aff tae help Leo grieve an’ when we do return tae work, am sure our family will help us. A imagine Molly an’ me ma will fight over him," he gave his head a shake as he chuckled. "An’ he's comfortable ‘round the twins, so he could spend the day in the shop with them. Quaffle will have a child tae play with an’ if we're lucky, they’ll wear each other oot."

"So what so we do?" She asked quietly.

"We bring him intae our family. This will be his home an’ we'll give him a family tha’ will dote on him; Aunts tha’ will spoil him rotten, Uncles tha’ll corrupt him an’ Grandparents tha’ll squeeze him tae death. We’re legally his guardians, we’ll give him some time an’ if he wishes tae, we’ll adopt him, givin’ him our name."

Her eyes searched his expression before hugged him, burying her face in his chest.

"You are the greatest, kindest man I have ever met, and I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve you. I love you, so much."

"Comin’ from ye, tha’s one af the best compliments a’ve ev’r had. A love ye," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She sighed before drawing back from him slightly. "I know we talked about turning my old room into the nursery, but would you mind if Leo stayed in there for a little while, just until I know he's fine? I want him close by should he need me and when he's okay, we'll give him his own room which he can decorate however he wishes."

"A don' mind, if am honest, a’d rather he be close by, tae,” he admitted. 

"I'll have to go shopping,” she nibbled at her lip, “Get him some new clothes and toys, he’s a bit of a fussy eater so I’ll have to make sure to grab the food items he prefers. I’ll have to buy more fruit and some yoghurts and juice. I want to get a few muggle things as well, if I can, something that’ll allow us to keep an eye on him when he’s sleeping. I’ve no doubt he’s been having nightmares and I want to know when he needs me."

"We'll do it after we get him settled," Oliver promised, his hand slipping around hers. “We best go talk tae Kingsley."

He led her from their bedroom and to the living area, seeing Kingsley perching in the exact spot they’d left him in.

They retook their seats, sitting side by side and hand in hand as Hermione took a breath and said, "We'll have him in our home, we'll treat him as family and we’ll protect and help him. If he wishes, we will adopt him officially." Kingsley smiled sadly; having known they wouldn't turn the child away, but the circumstances for such requirements were saddening. "I suppose I should inform you, given that I’ll be visiting St. Mungo’s soon enough and the news will be recorded on file and sent to the Ministry...” He arched a questioning eyebrow. “A few days ago, we discovered that I’m pregnant."

His face brightened with a smile. "That's wonderful news," he said brightly, standing to his feet. "Congratulations to you both, I must say, Hermione, you do seem to be glowing," he complimented and Hermione felt her cheeks heating.

"Now tha’ we’ve a child on the way an’ another in our custody, are we excused from the law?" Oliver asked hopefully.

Not that he and Hermione weren’t thankful for being brought together, nor did they deem the law applicable to them, but it did mean they’d no longer have the pressure of having children on their shoulders and their marriage and lives would no longer be scrutinised or monitored closely. _Good riddance, Miss. Smyth_ , he thought joyfully. 

"Yes, it does, when it officially goes on record. Although, it never really applied to you two, did it?" His mouthed twitched knowingly. "I will arrange for your Marriage Official to conduct one final visit after you attend an appointment at St. Mungo’s, so that your pregnancy might be confirmed by a health professional. Now, it is required that under such circumstances, a Ministry Official of the Family Affairs Department will conduct an environment check to ensure the premises is suitable for a child, but seeing as I’m here... As I can see, you have more than the recommended amount of space, you have access to food and running water, you’ve windows allowing natural light and you’ve security and safety measures already in place. Now, I must see the room in which Leo will be occupying. I understand that this is all pointless, but it’s required that such checks are conducted,” he said apologetically.

“We understand,” Oliver gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “A’d be worried if such things weren’t inspected befere a child was brought tae a foreign place.” Oliver and Hermione stood from the couch, leading them down the right-side corridor. “The apartment houses five bedrooms in total, we’ve decided tae give Leo the bedroom closest tae ours so we’re nearby should he need us. A doubt he’d like the decor but it’ll do fer now.”

Coming to a stop beside the door, he reached out and pushed it open, allowing the Minister to step inside, watching amusedly at his surprised reaction.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "Adjacent bathroom, windows, walk-in wardrobe, a bed,” he listed, “This is more than suitable."

"This is a temporary solution,” said Hermione. “Once we’re certain Leo’s doing well, we’ll move him into another room, as we had intended this to be the nursery,” her hand automatically lifted to her stomach. “He’ll have the opportunity to decorate his room however he wishes. We do currently have Thompson living with us, but he is scheduled to move out by the end of the month once the renovations are complete on some of the apartments in the building.”

"And the other bedroom?"

"It’s mostly the same as this one, minus the colour scheme,” answered Oliver.

"As his guardians, you are expected to provide Leo with anything he may require, as stated by the Child Protection Laws, and you will receive no help from government funds. Unfortunately, he doesn't have many personal belongings. The house he and his mother occupied was rented and when Ms. Harrison stopped paying her bills, their valuables were repossessed."

Neither Hermione nor Oliver looked concerned at the news of them being financially responsible for the child.

"We’re more than happy tae an’ capable af providing anything he might require. In fact, not ten minutes ago Hermione did say tae mae tha’ she wished tae go shopping so she might purchase clothing, toys an’ Leo’s favourite foods. With our combined net worth, am certain neither af us will notice," replied Oliver, shrugging his shoulders.

"He is going to need much support and love, as I’m sure you’re aware, but having you and your family in his life will have a great influence on him and I imagine he will do just fine."

"Where is Leo?" Hermione asked, wondering where he was being kept and how long they’d have to wait until they were able to see him and bring him home with them.

"He's at a local orphanage and has been since the morning his mother’s body was discovered."

"WHAT?!" Hermione’s voice rose in pitch. Kingsley winced. "You're wasting our time when Leo's in an _orphanage_?! Are kidding me right now?! Take us to him! Now!" Hermione demanded, her foot stomping against the ground.

Nodding, he led the way towards the fireplace and after Oliver quickly informed Thompson of their leaving on an errand and promising to explain what had happened when they returned, and Hermione summoned a jumper to slip on, they stepped into the floo.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley**

The orphanage was located in outskirts of Diagon Alley, something neither Hermione nor Oliver had known. Usually, the floo was restricted to only allow employees into and out of the building, but Kingsley being the Minister of Magic, he was able to supersede those wardings.

Stepping out into a small room fitted with chairs, desks and filing cabinets, Hermione believed they were currently in the staffroom, given the number of heads that turned towards them at the unexpected arrival. Eyes widened and noises of surprise sounded as the recognised the Minister of Magic, the Quidditch star and the War Heroine.

"Minister Shacklebolt,” greeted an older woman as she stood from her desk and approached them. Her blonde-greying hair was tied back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, her green eyes sat wrinkles and her smile was kind. “To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit?"

"Good afternoon. I am here regarding the case of Leo Harrison. I have brought with me Hermione and Oliver Wood, the couple who have been named Leo’s legal guardians. They would've been here sooner, however, they have been out of the country for the last two weeks. They were unaware of the happenings and only learned of them but an hour ago," he explained. 

The older woman nodded, her eyes softening. "Georgia, please will you bring Leo to this room. I believe he was last seen to be in the hall with the other children."

"Yes, of course, Mrs. Tripp," stuttered the young blonde, her brown eyes firmly locked on Oliver, but when Hermione narrowed her eyes in warning, she was quick to stand from her chair, almost tripping over her own feet as she made a hasty retreat.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said the old woman, smiling at them. “I’m Helen Tripp, the head of this orphanage,” she introduced. “I assume you wish to take Leo with you today?"

"Yes, we would,” nodded Hermione. “I know there must be a lot of paperwork involved..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Dear,” she interrupted. “As you are legally Leo’s guardians, the usual requirements and waiting periods do not apply. We are, however, required to ensure you are able to provide a suitable living environment for Leo."

"As I was already on the premises, I took the liberty to give it the once over. I assure you, it is more than suitable," Kingsley added.

"I take your word for it, Minister, however, I must have Leo's caseworker inspect the property for the sake of our record keeping, and there are a few inquiries that need to be made."

Their eyes moved to the door when it opened and the blonde returned with a miserable looking Leo trailing behind her. To Hermione, it was clear he struggled with his sleep and he looked to have lost some weight, too, likely refusing to eat. His skin was too pale to be healthy, his clothing was dishevelled and his hair looking as though it hadn’t been washed or brushed in days.

She couldn’t stop it; her hormones coupled with the sight of the little boy in pain had her eyes welling with tears.

"Leo, there is someone here who wishes to see you," Mrs. Tripp spoke kindly.

He didn’t lift his eyes from the ground and neither did he acknowledge her words, something that concerned Hermione.

“Leo?” She called softly.

His head snapped to attention, his eyes seeking her out and upon seeing her, his eyes widened and his posture straightened. Mrs. Tripp saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Hope.

"Hermione? Mr. Wood?" He questioned quietly before he darted forward, Hermione barely catching him when he threw himself at her. His arms folded around her neck, his legs around her middle and he buried his face in her neck, hugging her tightly.

"Everything’s going to be alright, Leo. I promise,” she vowed softly, her hand rubbing comforting circles on his back as the other helped to support his weight. “We won’t let anyone hurt you and you’ll always be safe with us."

"My mum's dead," he sniffled, Hermione feeling his tears splash against her skin.

"I know, Sweetie, but I promise it’ll get better."

"How d’you know?"

"Leo, my mum and dad died last year. I miss them every day and I still love them, but now it doesn't hurt when I think about them and how much they meant to me."

"Really?"

"Really," she confirmed.

"What’re you doing here?"

"Oliver and I are here to take you to your home," she answered.

He drew back from her, his teary eyes wide and his expression fearful, Hermione feeling his hands grip her shoulders tightly. Oliver drew his attention when he set a hand on his back.

"With us, yer coming home with us," Oliver gave him a smile, something that seemed to help to settle him.

"Are you gonna be my new mum and dad?" He asked shyly.

Hermione and Oliver looked to each other, a silent exchange passing between them.

"Not if you don't want us to be," said Hermione. "We'll be your Aunt and Uncle, your brother and sister, your friends... We'll even take an Ageing Potion and be your Grandparents if you'd prefer,” she teased.

Oliver snorted. "Am not taking an Ageing Potion; am tae handsome tae have this face go all wrinkly. What would the team do withoot me good looks attracting all the female fans?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and Leo laughed, ducking his head shyly whilst those present, namely Mrs. Tripp and Georgia, watched the exchange in surprise. In the two weeks he’d been at the orphanage, they hadn’t heard him speak to anyone, let alone laugh or smile, and yet, he’d been in the presence of Hermione and Oliver no more than five minutes and he’d done all three.

"Anyway, Hermione's point is tha’ we’ll be anything ye need us tae be," Oliver clarified.

"Even a mum and dad?" He asked sheepishly.

"Even a mum and dad," they echoed unintentionally but it seemed to embolden the young boy. 

"Can I call you mum and dad?"

"If you’d like to,” Hermione smiled, “But I may suggest you call Oliver something more suitable. Perhaps vain, idiotic, a terrible cook, clumsy..."

"Am not clumsy," Oliver interrupted in protest, mock glaring at Hermione. Hermione arched a questioning eyebrow. "Name one time," he challenged.

Without hesitation, she began with, "You fell down the stands during practice before the Germany match. You slipped in the shower after the Spain match. You tripped over your suitcase in our hotel room in Portugal. You walked into a glass door when we were in Italy. You..."

"A said name _one_ , not an entire list," Oliver injected amusedly and Leo laughed, his sadness and tears having faded. Oliver looked to Leo. "A told ye she was mean tae mae.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's just a big baby," she stage whispered.

"Is Hermione still yer favourite member af the team?" Asked Oliver.

"Yes," Leo replied without hesitation, his face completely serious. Oliver's expression fell, morphing into a slight pout when Hermione and Leo laughed.

"Don't worry, Leo; I'll save you from the health and safety violation that is Oliver's cooking."

"Am not as bad as the twins," Oliver argued.

"No, you're not, no one is,” she agreed. “They set the kitchen on fire and they were only peeling potatoes," Hermione told Leo and he burst into a fit of laughter and every time he tried to calm down, he laughed more.

"So I'm coming to live with you?" Leo questioned, his eyes darting between them.

Hermione shifted slightly on her feet; whilst Leo weighed far less than a regular nine-year-old, he’d very clearly lost weight _and_ he was small for his age, she was pregnant and her body was aching. Seeing this and being concerned for her and the growing baby in her stomach, Oliver silently plucked Leo from Hermione, settling him on his hip. Hermione gave him a grateful smile and Leo barely batted an eyelash at the action, automatically folding his arms around Oliver’s neck. 

"Aye, ye are,” Oliver confirmed, his mouth twitching at the way Leo’s mouth tugged at the corners, fighting a smile. “Yer gonna be a part af the family an’ there's a lot af us, so a hope yer’ve a good memory tae keep up with ev’ryone."

"Who?" Leo asked curiously, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"Well, there's me parents, an’ am not sure if ye remember them from the League Final. "

"There's Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and their children,” Hermione took over. “Of course, you already know Fred and George quite well, but they have three older brothers. Bill’s the eldest and he's married to Fleur. She’s pregnant... She’s got a baby in her tummy,” she corrected, seeing his slightly confused expression. “She's really nice and she's French so she has a funny accent. Fred and George always make fun of her so she hexes them and they run away." Leo laughed. "Charlie lives in Romania as he’s a Dragon Tamer." Leo's eyes widened in awe. "He visits all the time, he's really kind and he’s like a giant teddy bear. And there's Percy. He's really clever and everyone teases him. He's married to Audrey and she's really nice, too."

"That's a lot of people," he muttered, looking uncomfortable, Leo being the only one present to not notice that she hadn’t mentioned Ron, Harry or Ginny.

"It is,” she agreed. “I know met them at the wedding but that wasn't long enough for you to get to know them. We have dinner together every Sunday and there's always laughter, pranks, food being thrown and people sneaking Quaffle food when I tell them not to because he's going to get fat."

"Anyway,” Oliver drew his attention, “What d’ye say ye go an’ get yer things an’ then we can leave," he suggested.

Leo nodded enthusiastically and after Oliver set him back on his feet, the little boy was quick to dart from the room, Georgia having to scramble to keep up with him. 

"During his time, I have never heard him speak," Mrs. Tripp remarked.

"That doesn’t surprise me,” replied Hermione. “When I first met Leo, he was incredibly shy and didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone, but after a couple of months, he was helping me at the counter and speaking with customers."

"I think Leo has a bright future ahead of him," she commented, giving Hermione a kind smile.

Their eyes were drawn to the figure that stepped through the door, his dark hair shaggy and falling into his dark eyes, his eyebrows thick, his lips red and thin, and his nose straight and pointed. He looked no older than mid-twenties, his slightly muscled physique showcased by the tight shirt that was tucked into his trousers, the first two buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Oh, Michael,” greeted the older woman. “This is Mr. and Mrs. Wood, they are Leo's legal guardians. Mr. and Mrs. Wood, this is Michael Logan, Leo's caseworker"

His dark eyes gave Oliver the once over before they locked on Hermione, seeing her sporting black high-waisted skinny jeans, black heeled knee-high boots and a cashmere grey jumper.

He approaching, shaking Oliver’s hand before moving to shake Hermione's, Oliver’s eyes narrowing when he held on longer than what was considered appropriate.

"Why are they here now? Leo was brought here two weeks ago," he questioned the womanly.

Oliver felt Hermione bristle beside him and she tore her hand away from Logan’s, her expression morphing into one of annoyance and disapproval at the insinuation behind his words. She wasn’t an idiot; she could read between the lines. He thought he was being subtle, when rather, he was an idiot for he’d just ended up on Hermione’s shit list. Oliver couldn’t keep his mouth from twitching into a smirk.

"We have been out of the country the last two weeks due to our jobs. We arrived home this morning and it was but an hour ago we were informed of the circumstances which have befallen Leo, and once we did, we came straight here," Hermione responded, her tone belying her anger.

"And does your work require you to travel frequently?" He arched an eyebrow, slipping his hands into his pockets, his expression one of challenge.

"No, it does not,” she pursed her lips. “During the months of July and August are when we are most likely to travel, given that it is game season, but it is never more than four required trips. However, this year the league is wishing to try their hand at something new and as a trial run, international matches have been arranged between teams during training season, in order to build relationships and in hopes of raising money for the chosen charities of each team. I understand that there is some concern in which Leo might be neglected for our busy work schedules, but we would never allow that to happen. In addition, we have much support should we require it.” 

"Such as?" He probed.

Hermione understood that it was his job to ensure Leo received the best care possible, but did he have to be such an arse about it? She really didn’t like him. There was something about him that made her skin crawl. He was just so... Arrogant? Annoying? Punchable. That was the word. He was just so punchable.

She folded her arms over her chest. "I understand that you are only looking out for Leo’s best interests, however, I feel I must remind you that we are not fostering Leo. He is not a ward of the state and therefore he is not legally under your care. The wavering of parental rights and transfer of guardianship was done legally and within the laws at the Ministry, _before_ Ms. Harrison took her life, we were simply made aware of the change after her body was discovered and we returned home from our travels. From my understanding, we are on record as being Leo’s guardians and you cannot stop us from leaving, not unless you have concerns about his well-being,” said Hermione, staring him down. Oliver snorted from beside her, his arm slipped around her waist, hand splaying against her stomach.

“But, despite that, I will answer your questions so all of our bases have been covered,” she continued, leaning into her husband. “To clarify, should we need it, we will have the support of our friends and family. My husband and I _do_ have busy work schedules, given our careers,” she admitted. “As such, Leo might join us for the day at the stadium. Coach Burton and the team adore him and given that he’s spent much time at the stadium with me, he’s grown to be comfortable with them. I have a private office and I know there is a play area for when children visit their parents or there are field trips. He will never be bored.”

“If he doesn’t wish to be at the stadium, he will be able to spend the day with my brothers at their shop, a place where Leo feels safe and comfortable. If he doesn’t wish to do that, he might spend the day with my sister-in-law, Fleur, who has taken time away from her own career as she is pregnant. In addition, there is Oliver’s parents and Molly Weasley who would be happy to have a little boy to dote on. If we are required to travel, he may accompany us and if he doesn’t wish to, he can visit with any of who I just mentioned. As such, Leo will have the opportunity to be culturally educated and he will see and experience things most children his age won’t.”

“I assure you, Mr. Logan, Leo is at the top of my list of priorities and should it be required, I will work from home. Regardless, Leo will never be alone or without supervision and he will never be made to feel like an outcast. Is that answer sufficient enough for you?"

Oliver bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Logan’s face. Kingsley didn’t both to hide his chuckle and Mrs. Tripp his a smile behind her hand.

Fast footfall approached and soon Leo appeared, rushing into the office, around Logan and straight to Hermione. She was ready for him this time and when he threw himself at her, she caught him, giving the smiling child a smile before Oliver took him from her, setting him on his hip.

"Now, if you would be so kind, we would like to take Leo home. It is clear he hasn’t been eating or sleeping and I wish to rectify that. Are you accompanying us, Mr. Logan?" He silently nodded, summoning a file from the filing cabinet. "Kingsley?" She questioned, looking to him.

"No, I will stay behind and ensure all paperwork if completed and filed correctly, save you from having to it. It’s just a formality anyway,” he answered.

Nodding, she gave him a smile of thanks before accepting the carry on case that was handed to her. Hermione’s brow furrowed at she looked down at the small and weightless case; she’d known he’d had little possessions but she’d assumed he’d have more than what would fit in the tiny case.

Oliver’s gaze darted between Hermione and the case in concern and he reached out to take it from her, having his hand slapped away for his troubles. She gave him an unimpressed glance and Kingsley chuckled at the silent exchange. Sighing, Oliver stepped into the fireplace, ensuring Leo’s face was buried against him to prevent him from getting soot in his eyes. Hermione followed, her hand encircling Logan’s wrist.

"The security wards will deny you access unless we are in physical contact," Hermione explained to his questioning gaze. Turning her eyes to the kind older woman, she asked, "Mrs. Tripp, how many children do you currently have residing in the premises?"

"One hundred and seven," she answered.

"And you facilities?" Hermione pressed.

"They are not the best considering the circumstances but we get by," she confessed.

"Expect a visit from myself and my husband in a few weeks time. Don't tell the children, it'll be a surprise."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

The moment they stepped out of the fireplace, Logan’s eyes widened in surprise and Oliver chuckled as he set Leo on the ground, the child spinning in circles, taking it all in.

"You live here?" Leo squeaked excitedly.

"Naw, _we_ live here,” Oliver corrected. “This is yer home now. Look," he gestured to the photographs lining the walls, Leo gasping in surprise when he saw that he was in several of them.

"You put my picture on the wall with your family?"

"Of course, we did, you're family," Hermione replied, Leo beaming a smile.

The sound of their voices drew the attention of Quaffle, the dog bounding down the corridor and into view, barking and yipping as he skidded to a stop along the marble floor. He ignored Hermione and Oliver’s presence and headed straight to Leo, jumping up at him and licking his face, the little boy laughing loudly. Hermione and Oliver gravitated towards each other, with her pulled into his side as they smiled at the sight.

“You have a dog?” He questioned.

Hermione’s eyes snapped to him, narrowing slightly.

“Evidently,” she deadpanned. “We also have an owl and a tank of goldfish,” she gestured behind her with a lazy wave of her hand. “As you can see, Leo is in no danger. Our dog is harmless and he adores children, he and Leo get on like a house and fire when they’re together. This isn’t their first meeting and neither is Leo allergic to him or our other pets. There is no need for concern.”

"Leo," Thompson greeted cheerfully as he approached from the left corridor, looking surprised at his presence and sending Hermione and Oliver a concerned glance, knowing they’d explain later in the day.

"Thompson," the little boy beamed, managing to fight off Quaffle’s attack of kisses and he bumped his fist against Thompson’s when the older wizard held his own out towards him.

"Well, let’s show you to your room,” said Hermione, taking the little boy’s hand in hers and leading him down the right side corridor, being followed by Oliver, Logan and Quaffle at Leo’s side. "This room is only temporary as we need to decorate your room before we move you in, so don’t mind the colour."

"I get my own room? And I get to decorate it how I want?" He asked excitedly, his eyes wide.

"Yes, however you like," she promised, pushing the door open.

"Whoa!" Leo whispered in awe, releasing Hermione’s hand and stepping inside, again spinning in slow circles, taking it all in.

Smiling, Hermione stepped into the room and set the carry on case by the foot of the bed before she drew the blankets back and fluffed the pillows. When she gestured for Leo to climb onto the bed, he struggled to do so giving the size and she made a mental note to find a little step he might use to help him. With a flick of her wand, she removed his shoes and transfigured his jeans into pyjama bottoms.

"I want you to have a nap whilst I make you a late lunch. I know you haven't been eating or sleeping and that is going to change, young man," she scolded softly.

"You're so bossy," Leo mumbled.

Oliver snorted. “Yer’ve no idea. Ye’ll have tae get used tae it, she's always been bossy an’ tha’s never gonna change."

"You should try working with her," Thompson injected, popping his head around the door frame.

"An’ living with her," added Oliver.

Hermione stuck her tongue out at them both and turned her eyes back to the giggling child.

"Now, lie down and go to sleep," she instructed.

"I'm not even tired," he grumbled.

"Then lie down and I'll sing you a song."

"What kind of song?"

"One my mum used to sing to me when I had bad dreams. Although her singing was awful, that's what _gave_ me bad dreams. So, lie down."

He pouted but he did lie down, shuffling beneath the blanket whilst Oliver crossed over to the window and closed the curtains. Once done, he lifted Quaffle onto the bed, the dog moving to curl up beside Leo and he slipped his arm over him, pressing his face against his fur.

Smiling at the sight, Hermione cleared her thought before opening her mouth, her voice soft and soothing as she sang, " _Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by, if you smile through your fear and sorrow. Smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll see the sun come shining through for you. Light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear may be ever so near. That's the time you must keep on trying, smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile. That's the time you must keep on trying, smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile._ "

Coming to the end, Leo’s breathing was even and relaxed, his eyes closed and his mouth parted slightly as he slept. Leaning over, she pushed his hair back from his face and then pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Watch over him, Quaffle, he’s in a lot of pain," she said to the dog before running her hand through his fur and pressing a kiss to his head, the dog nodding in understanding. 

Standing from the side of the bed, she shifted the blanket higher over Leo’s sleeping form before taking her leave and closing the door behind her.

“Minister Shacklebolt already conducted an environment check to ensure the apartment is safe and suitable for Leo’s needs. As you saw, he has his own bedroom. This one is only temporary as we wish him to be near to our room should he need us. When we feel he is doing much better, he will switch rooms. There are five bedrooms in total, so it’s not as if he has a lack of choice. There are also three bathrooms, one being our en-suite, the other adjacent to Leo’s temporary room and there is another bathroom on the other side of the apartment.”

“And those?” He questioned with a tip of his head, one hand in his pocket, the other grasping the file.

“Behind you are the library and my potions lab.”

“A potions lab, you say?”

Hermione really wanted to punch him.

“Yes, my potions lab. I often work on product design and development for my brothers’ business.”

“A potions lab contains dangerous substances, does it not?” He asked lightly.

“Yes, it does,” she agreed, “And that is why it’s warded. Only _I_ have access to it. I don’t wish to risk my dog wandering in and knocking something over by accident, or potentially eating something he shouldn’t. Neither do I wish for Oliver to accidentally injure himself should he snoop through my ingredients cabinets, or try to sneak a peek on my latest invention. Leo will not be allowed access to my lab until I deem it safe and appropriate and even still, he will be supervised at all times. I am not an idiot, Mr. Logan, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me as such,” she chastised, Oliver and Thompson sniggering. “Now, I’m certain you saw that the apartment has plenty of windows and natural light, it has access to running water and the temperature is magically controlled, as expected. I suppose you wish to see the kitchen?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer and turned on her heel, leading the way down the corridor and towards the living room.

“And who are you?” Logan asked Thompson.

“I’m Grady Thompson, Oliver’s teammate.”

“And you are here, why?”

“Nosey, aren’t you?” Thompson arched an eyebrow, giving him an unimpressed stare, spying Hermione’s mouth twitching from the corner of his eye.

“I need to know _how_ many occupants there are and _who_ they are,” he replied cooly.

Thompson halted in his steps and the others followed suit.

“You know, I don’t even know what’s going on here, but given the state of the little man and his presence, I can only assume it’s not good,” said Thompson, stealing a glance over his shoulder and towards the bedroom that housed the little boy. “Anyway, I’m not a resident, not really. Hermione and Oliver have been kind enough to let me to stay with them until the end of the month, which is when the renovations on my apartment will be complete, and then I’ll be out of their hair.”

“Please, yer only a couple af floors doon, we’ll never be rid af ye,” Oliver scoffed.

Thompson grinned, not bothering to deny it.

“Well, I _am_ going to miss Hermione’s cooking,” he shrugged. “Anyway, I promised Katie I’d steal her away from her work today after we got back, so I better head out.” Turning to Logan, he said, “Don’t be a dick.”

Oliver covered his laugh with a cough, Hermione hid her smile by turning her head and scratching her nose and Logan’s eyes widened in both surprise and indignation.

“Like a said, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on but whatever it is, I know Hermione and Oliver love that kid and I know they’d give everything they have to keep him safe. Hermione’s one of the kindest, greatest people I’ve ever met. She spends her days controlling fourteen grown-ass men who act like children ninety percent of the time, and if she can do that without breaking a sweat or losing her rag, then looking after that child will be a breeze for her.” Not giving him the chance to respond, he turned to Hermione. “I’m spending the night at Katie’s.”

“A bet ye are,” Oliver replied, his mouth tugging into a smirk.

“Oh, shut up,” Thompson sighed. “If anything changes, I’ll you know. I said I’d take her out to breakfast before she goes to work in the morning, and then I’m visiting my Gran, so I won’t be back until after lunch.”

“Okay, have fun,” Hermione smiled.

“Use protection!” Oliver called after him as he headed for the fireplace.

“The whole point of the Law is to _get_ pregnant in order to increase the population,” Hermione pointed out.

“Oh, yer right,” Oliver nodded. “ _Don’_ use protection!” He corrected.

“Oh, fuck off,” Thompson scowled, disappearing into the flames as Hermione laughed and Oliver grinned.

Giving her head a shake, she smacked Oliver on the arm with the back of her hand before continuing towards the kitchen.

“Does he always use such language?” 

“He’s a professional athlete, what else is he going to cry when he’s smacked in the face with a bludger? Son of a biscuit? Mother sucker? Fudge nuggets? Doesn’t really have the same ring to it, does it?” Said Hermione, rolling her eyes. “He’s a grown man, and whilst I can and do tell him what to do when at work, I don’t make it a habit of doing so out of work hours, and neither do I tell him what he can and can’t say. As for the language, no, he doesn’t often use it, his teammates are much worse but they know when to sensor their language and they’ve never said anything inappropriate when Leo’s been nearby. And if you don’t stop nit-picking, I swear, I’m kicking you out of here on your arse. We did this as a courtesy; the Minister has already completed the required checks and can overrule you should he need to. And as I said before, we are already his legal guardians and unless you have concerns about his well-being, you have no authority over him or us. I only allowed you here to give you peace of mind. Now sit down or leave.”

She stopped by the kitchen table, staring him down and much to her amusement, he cautiously took a seat. Seeing this, she and Oliver took the chairs opposite him.

“You know we are physically capable of caring for Leo, you can see he has a more than adequate environment to grow in, he will be surrounded by people that will love and protect him, namely our family and Oliver’s teammates. I imagine you wish to ensure that we are financially able to support Leo,” Hermione stated knowingly. “Well, given Oliver’s profession, one that is known to pay exceptionally well, my own career in which I am also paid handsomely and our choice of residence, which you can see cost a hefty sum, we are more than capable and willing to provide Leo with anything he needs. But if that’s not enough...”

She drew her wand from beneath her sleeve and summoned a sheet of parchment, unfolding it to ensure it was the one she needed and then she pushed it towards Logan.

He reached for it, drawing his eyes from her and to it, his eyes widening comically as he choked on his own tongue. Amused, Oliver summoned a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, it settling beside the stunned social worker.

“As you can see, that is our most recent statement from our joint Gringotts account, and whilst it doesn’t include a list of assets, it does state the estimated net worth of them, as well as the exact amount in galleons, sickles and knuts.”

“There’s over five million...” Logan spluttered, the parchment falling from his fingers and to the table.

“As I said, that is our most recent Gringotts statement. Oliver and I both have our own fortunes but after we married, we decided to combine them and put it into a joint account.”

“An’ tha’ is our own personal vault,” Oliver added. “It does not include the net worth or deeds tae any properties, an’ neither does it include the Wood assets tha’ will pass tae us upon the passing af me parents, along with the title af Lord an’ Lady Wood.”

“Properties?” Logan wheezed, his eyes watering from his coughing fit before he finally reached for the glass of water.

“Aye, yer sitting in one right now. We don’ just own the apartment, we own the _entire_ complex.”

“Merlin,” Logan muttered.

“You may keep that,” said Hermione, “As evidence.”

Standing from the table, she crossed over to the fridge, pulling free the vegetables and setting them on the counter. After filling her largest pan with water and setting it to boil, she removed a frozen chicken from the freezer and cast the appropriate charms so it might defrost quickly and then she set to work chopping the vegetables.

Clearing his throat, Logan said, “You are making lunch for Leo?”

“Yes, chicken stew with dumplings. The moment I saw him I noticed he’d lost weight, as so, this will be light on his stomach but also filling, not to mention, it's a great way of getting vegetables into a nine-year-olds' diet. He’s a fussy eater but he’ll eat anything that has gravy and potatoes so it's a win-win."

"And you know this, how?"

"I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Leo. We first met, he was too shy to speak and after two months, his confidence improved to the point where he was helping me work the counter at my brothers’ shop and speaking with customers. When I joined Puddlemere, Leo attended a number of matches, which is why he’s so comfortable and familiar with Thompson and the others."

“Leo knows that he’s safe with me. He knows I’ll protect him and keep him safe. He knows I only want what’s best for him and because of that, he trusts me. You don’t know Leo as I do. You met but two weeks ago and from what I’ve been told, he hasn’t spoken a single word to anyone until he saw me and Oliver. No one is better suited to caring for Leo than us, no one knows him as we do, certainly not you.”

"You know him best?" He challenged.

“Yes.”

“And your proof?”

Hermione paused in her chopping of the carrots, put her knife aside and turned her back to the counter, looking to him. 

"I know that Leo is terrified of cockroaches and spiders. He enjoyed visiting Muggle London when we took him to purchase a suit for our wedding and he wishes to visit again. His favourite colour is navy blue, his favourite domestic animal is a dog and his favourite wild animal is a lion. His favourite book is the _Tales of Beadle and the Bard_ and he loves Quidditch. He loves bacon almost as much as the twins..." Oliver snorted, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. "You should've been there for the argument he and the twins had in the middle of the shop. Seriously, arguing over who loves bacon more," she shook her head fondly. "He doesn't know how to fly a broom and his favourite dessert is chocolate ice cream. He wants to learn how to ride a muggle bicycle and he's always wanted his own pet, which is why he’s so taken with Quaffle.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders, Oliver’s mouth twitching into a smile at the sight of Logan’s surprised expression. “All of that, it’s the culmination of knowing that little boy for months. You’ve known him two weeks at most and you have to divide your time between other children that are assigned to you. But when Leo is with me, he has my undivided attention... Now, is that all? Environment check, financial check, criminal background check, physical and psychological capability, surely that’s everything.”

Logan leafed through the file in his hand, slipping the Gringotts statement in with the other documents.

“I believe so. In three months time, a welfare check will be conducted so we might enquire about Leo’s health and well-being.

"Well, we should probably tell ye,” began Oliver, Logan snapping his eyes to him. "We have ev’ry intention af adopting Leo, officially. Af course, we’ll wait until we believe he’s ready an’ we’ll ask fer his permission tae do so. We don’ want tae force him, it will be his decision.”

Hermione crossed over to the table, stopping behind Oliver’s chair and setting her hands on his shoulders.

"With Oliver and I as his carers, Leo has opportunities in life most wouldn’t be able to dream of. I received twelve NEWTs at O level, I can teach Leo how to make PolyJuice potion at the age of nine and Draught of the Living Death and Wolfsbane Potion at the age of ten. I will prepare him for when the time comes for him to attend Hogwarts, he will be one of the most advanced students Hogwarts has seen. And you can be damn sure that I’ll teach him how to defend himself and others. As well as Hogwarts’ mandatory lessons, I have every intention of teaching him basic English, Muggle Sciences and Mathematics. He’ll be given the best pre-Hogwarts education a child can receive."

After the signing of some documents to confirm that all checks had been conducted by the caseworker and an in-depth discussion had been had about Leo’s needs, Logan finally took his leave.

“Good riddance,” Hermione grumbled, hearing the flames die down in the fireplace. “What the hell was his probable?” She asked aloud, her attention once more on chopping the remainder of the vegetables before she added them to the boiling pan. “It was as if he was going out of his way to make it appear as though we would be unsuitable for caring for Leo.”

“Err, actually, a think it had more tae do with mae than it did ye.”

She set the knife aside and turned around. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She questioned slowly, her brow furrowing.

“When we met him at the orphanage, a thought he looked familiar but a couldn’t place him. It wisnae until we got home tha’ a realised a knew him.”

“What did you do?” She asked knowingly, her hands coming up to settle on her hips.

He gave her a sheepish expression as he stood from his chair and slowly crossed over to her.

“Ye see, a might’ve slept with his sister in Hogwarts... An’ his ex-girlfriend... An’ a think a might’ve shagged his cousin as well,” he said sheepishly.

Hermione felt her eyes widen and her mouth drop open.

“Bloody hell, Wood!” She exclaimed. “Keep it in your damn robes!”

She smacked him with the tea towel, Oliver chuckling as he took his from her and set it on the counter before his hands moved to her hips and he lift her, perching her on the edge of the counter as he stepped between her parted knees.

He stared down at her unhappy expression, his mouth twitching into a smirk. “But if a did tha’, there wouldn’t be a baby growing inside ye,” he replied, his hand slipping to her stomach, burrowing beneath the layers of fabric to splay against her warm skin. Her expression softened and he lowered his head, his mouth pressing a kiss against hers. “An’ now tha’ we know it’s possible, when the little one’s born a’ll put another baby in ye,” he muttered, his mouth brushing hers with every word he spoke. “Give the lad a baby brother tae play with, seeing as Leo will be almost a decade older than them.”

“It could be a girl,” she argued. “And who’s to say I want another baby after this one? We’ll have more than enough on our plates, why add to it?”

His mouth twitched. “Sparrow, a’ve ev’ry intention af curing the population issue with us alone.”

“Is that so?”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, his face burying in her neck, his mouth placing soft kisses against her skin, a sigh falling from her lips as she tipped her head to give him better access. “We’ll have so many kids we’ll set a record an’ they’ll take over the world.”

Her hands slipped up to his shoulders and her legs hooked over the back of his, tugging him closer.

“You know, now that we have Leo, we won’t be able to have spontaneous balcony, couch or kitchen table sex without the risk of being caught,” she commented.

He groaned. “Don’ say tha’, it’ll make me wanna change me mind aboot adopting him.”

She snorted. “You love that child and you know it. I know you’d rather have him in your life than couch sex.”

“Debatable,” he grumbled. She smacked him on the arm. “Alright, yer right,” he admitted. “But we’ll have tae remember tae cast the Silencing an’ Locking Charms from now on, an’ a’d better stop wandering ‘round half-naked.”

“Oh, now _I_ want to change my mind,” she grumbled.

He chuckled. “Come now, we both know ye love tha’ child an’ ye’d rather have him in yer life than mae walking ‘round half-naked.”

“I suppose,” she agreed. “Though, it is such a lovely view.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her pulse point and then drawing back when her stomach gave a grumble of hunger.

“Well, I don’t expect him to be awake for some time yet and given the hour, I’d say we’re having the stew for dinner, instead. What do you think? Family dinner?”

“It’s best tae get it oot af the way so we can help Leo transition intae his new life,” he agreed.

Hermione nodded. “Well, I suppose I better increase the amount of food I’m cooking. I’ll whip up some sandwiches to tie us over.”

He helped her down from the counter and Hermione was quick in the making and eating of the sandwiches.

“I best run a few errands, I’m going to need more potatoes, at least. Will you keep an eye on Leo?”

“A doubt he’s gonna wake, the poor kid looked exhausted,” Oliver replied. "Are ye gonna be okay on yer own?" His eyes darted to her stomach in concern.

"I'll be fine,” she assured him. “I shouldn’t be too long.”

After retrieving her coat and beaded bag, she drew her wand, conjuring her Patronus.

"Family meeting tonight. I expect everyone at our apartment for dinner. Can someone get a hold of Charlie? Tell him if he doesn’t come tonight, I’ll drag him kicking and screaming.”

She sent the Patronus to deliver her message and after pressing a kiss to a snorting Oliver’s cheek, she took her leave.

~000~000~000~

Hermione floo’d into Diagon Alley and visited Gringotts, removing a pouch of galleons before having it changed into muggle currency for later use, but before she did, there were a few items she required from the magical town.

After a trip to Madam Malkin’s to purchase some robes for Leo and discuss a business deal, she visited Flourish and Blotts, purchasing a number of children’s books to be delivered to the apartment. She was sure to make an appearance at WWW, checking that the twins would be attending dinner and promising that everything would be explained later, something that didn’t placate them.

After purchasing a few items of food, she crossed into Muggle London, purchasing some clothing for Leo, a selection of board games and children’s DVD's as well as some muggle children's books. With everything stowed away, she’d dashed into the supermarket, filling her trolley with potatoes, fruit, vegetables and yoghurts, and she made her way to the checkout, grabbing a few more items along the way. And before she returned to the apartment, she’d been sure to purchase some baby monitors and the correct sized batteries.

"Did ye get ev’rything ye wanted?" Oliver asked as she took a seat beside him on the couch, putting his playbook aside. 

"For now," she nodded, summoning all of her purchases from her beaded bag and having them back themselves away. 

"What’re those?" Oliver asked, gesturing to the two boxes that sat on the table.

"Baby monitors, quite self-explanatory. We place one in Leo's room and the other in our room, and if he has a nightmare, we'll hear it."

"Muggles are geniuses," he commented, impressed. Hermione smiled tiredly. "Ye should have a nap."

"I'm okay," she waved him off. “Besides, I haven’t finished with the stew, let alone started on the dumplings.”

"Sparrow, yer exhausted, it’s been a trying day an’ yer hormones are all over the place, ye should rest.”

"Fine,” she reluctantly agreed. “But don’t allow me to sleep for too long, I still have to finish dinner."

Agreeing, Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead, sending her on her way. Before she reached her room, she peeked inside Leo’s to check on him, seeing both him and Quaffle being out for the count. Smiling, she set the baby monitor on the bedside table before heading to her bed so she might have a lie-down.

~000~000~000~

Hours had passed and it had already grown dark outside despite the hour. Leo had yet to wake and Hermione didn’t wish to wake him, not when she knew he was exhausted and he was finally in a place where he felt safe enough to let down his guard.

"Why was a family meeting called?" Bill asked, looking to Hermione for answers.

Everyone had arrived and gathered in the living area, with Charlie being the last to step through the floo not five minutes ago.

"And why did I have to floo all the way from Romania?" Charlie questioned, giving her a faux annoyed glance.

Oliver and Hermione looked at each other, before she said, "We have some news we wish to discuss with you."

"News?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"First of all, you all remember Leo, yes? Well, when we arrived home this afternoon, Kingsley was here waiting for us. Whilst we were away, two weeks ago a woman named Maggie Harrison was found dead." The twins’ eyes widened. "Maggie was Leo's mother," she elaborated for the others, feeling her eyes tearing up and hearing the gasps of the other women present. 

"Their investigation has led them tae the conclusion tha’ she took her own life," Oliver continued, rubbing his thumb over the back of Hermione’s hand soothingly when he felt her grip tighten. "Her last wish was tha’ Hermione an’ I be responsible fer Leo, an’ she made us his legal guardians befere her death."

"Leo...” She took a deep breath. “Leo has no living relatives. As you might have now figured out, he’s here with us but he’s currently sleeping. I’m hoping that he’ll wake before we serve dinner so that he might get to meet you properly. He’s very shy and we wish to make this transition as easy as possible for him. Leo is family now."

"And that's the way he will be treated," Mrs. Weasley stated softly. "The poor dear must be so confused," she sighed sadly.

"We were unaware of the circumstance and once we discovered the news and that he’d been placed in an orphanage for the last two weeks, we collected him and brought home. We wish to officially adopt Leo but we know we’ll have to wait until the time is right before we bring it up in discussion with him."

"We’ll help in any way we can," vowed Oliver’s mother and others nodded in agreement. "Particularly with yer busy work schedules."

"Yes, anything for our Grandson," Mrs. Weasley nodded. Hermione felt her throat tighten. "I'm a Grandmother," she cried happily and they chuckled at her.

"You're already a Grandmother," Bill pointed out in amusement, gesturing to his wife’s swollen stomach.

"That doesn't count, Fleur's pregnant, I can't do anything until after the baby's born," she argued.

"And we can't be Uncles and turn our niece against you until after she's born" Fred added and they snorted, unsurprised by his comment. 

"Leo's already comfortable around us, so if you need any help, just let us know," George offered and Hermione and Oliver smiled gratefully.

Their eyes found each other’s and they leaned closer, a whispered conversation passing between them.

“A think we should tell them aboot the baby,” said Oliver.

Hermione nibbled at her lip. “I don’t know. It’s considered bad luck to break the news before the twelve week mark. There’s still plenty that could go wrong and I don’t want to jinx it.”

“Nothing will go wrong.”

“You don’t know that,” she sighed. “I’m frightened. I don’t want to lose the baby.”

“Ye won’t,” he promised.

“That isn’t a promise you can keep.”

“We should tell them,” he repeated. “Dinnae Bill an’ Fleur announce their pregnancy early?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“An’ they’ve had naw issues.”

“Fleur doesn’t have the history I have,” she argued. “Her body didn’t suffer as mine did.”

“Sparrow, a honestly believe ye’ll both be fine. Don’ ask mae hoo, but a can _feel_ it. We have tae be careful with yer health an’ we’ve jus’ taken on a nine-year-old child. We might be relying on them more than we’d like tae or more than we realise, at least until after the baby’s born. We need tae keep yer stress levels doon an’ anno hoo excited ye are tae share the news with Fleur.”

Hermione nibbled at her lip. He was right. She was _dying_ to tell Fleur.

“We know they won’t blab tae anyone,” he pointed out.

“What are you two whispering about?” Charlie asked loudly, a smirk playing at his mouth, as if he knew they were privately speaking about something embarrassing and she’d get embarrassed by answering the question.

All eyes turned to her expectantly and she sent a glare to Charlie who winked in response. Oliver squeezed her hand, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"We’ve got another other bit af news. "We were gonna wait tae tell ye but we're tae excited an’ a don’ think we’d be able tae keep it from yer fer much longer.”

"What is it?" George asked, arching an eyebrow as Oliver’s smile suddenly grew wider.

Hermione took a breath, feeling Oliver’s hand squeezing hers and she silently prayed that nothing bad happened to the baby for revealing the news so soon. 

"I'm pregnant."

"I'm sorry. What?" Bill blinked dumbly.

"I'm pregnant," she repeated, feeling her own smile pull at her face, Oliver’s beaming grin being infectious.

It was quiet until Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood simultaneous sprang from their seats and cried, almost as if they’d planned it. They crossed over to Hermione, tugging her to her feet and hugging her against them. When she was finally set free, Fleur was next in line, hugging her as tightly and closely as her swollen stomach allowed as tears fell from her eyes, setting off Hermione’s. Audrey took her place, beaming a smile and congratulating her, and then she was passed around the men as Oliver was hugged and patted on the back.

"You've given me _two_ Grandbabies in ten minutes," cried Mrs. Weasley, laughter ringing out as she wiped her happy tears away.

"Fleur, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind finding me as many books as possible on wizarding pregnancies. I did purchase a couple when we were in Brazil but they're not in English. I would do it myself but then..."

"And zen ze press would get wind and zey wouldn't leave you alone. I understand, Cherie, I was planning to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow, I will get zem for you zen."

"Our son’ll have a big brother," Oliver grinned.

"It could be a girl," Hermione argued for the umpteenth time in as little as a week.

"It'll be a boy," Mr. Wood interrupted, amused. "Fer as long as a can remember, Woods have only had males an’ only one child per generation. But, a suppose yer’ve already broken tha’ tradition by bringing Leo intae the family. Perhaps it is a girl," he mused with a thoughtful frown.

"It's a boy," Oliver protested and they laughed at him.

"What's a boy?" A shy voice cut through the laughter, silence falling as all eyes moved towards the corridor, Leo shuffling on his feet nervously, his fingers twisting into the hem of his t-shirt whilst Quaffle was by his side, the dog damn near being bigger than him. He certainly was when stood on his hind legs. 

Hermione offered a smile, holding her hand out towards him. "Leo, come here, there are some people I want you to meet." Although it was clear he was uncomfortable, he crossed over to her, Hermione settling her hands on his shoulders as he stood before her, facing everyone. "This is your family, Leo. I'm not sure if you remember them, so we'll just assume you don't. That is Percy and Audrey," she gestured and they smiled at him. "That is Charlie."

"The Dragon Tamer?" Leo asked shyly.

Charlie beamed and crouched down before him. "That's me, you like dragons?" He questioned. Leo nodded. "I think you're my favourite nephew." They chuckled at him as he rose to his feet, ruffled Leo’s hair affectionately and then stepped back.

"He's yer only nephew," Oliver rolled his eyes, snorting.

"This is Bill and Fleur," Hermione introduced.

"She hexes the twins for making fun of her," Leo remembered and they laughed at him.

"Yes, I do, and zey deserve it," Fleur replied, scowling at the twins.

"It's about time I had a nephew, and soon, you'll have a cousin," said Bill, placing his hand on his wife's swollen stomach lovingly. "We're having a little girl and her birthday will be in February"

"What's her name?" Leo asked shyly.

"Her name is Victorie," Bill replied. "You're going to be a good big cousin and help look after her, right?" Leo nodded. "I thought so, family look after each other."

"You already know Fred and George.”

"Mr. Weasleys," he greeted quietly.

"Oh, no need to be so formal, call us Uncle Fred and Uncle George. And we are at your service," George bowed dramatically, his twin mimicking him.

"And since you're our favourite nephew, we are going to tell you a secret," Fred whispered conspiratorially. "We're going to tell you how to tell us apart."

"It's really easy, actually" George agreed, nodding.

"You see, George is George -"

"- And Fred is Fred."

Leo blinked in confusion before laughter fell from him, the twins sending winks to Hermione and Oliver when they smiled gratefully. 

"Those are Oliver’s parents," Hermione introduced.

"Gran an’ Granddad," his mother suggested with teary eyes.

"And finally, we have Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley looked as though she was doing everything possible in order to prevent herself from rushing forward and crushing him into a hug.

"I've never had Grandparents before," Leo’s brow furrowed.

"But now you have four," Mr Weasley said kindly.

"Leo, would you mind if Mrs. Weasley hugged you?" Hermione asked and he looked up at her nervously. "She looks like she's about to burst," she added, sniggering sounding around them.

Leo took a slow, cautious step forward and Mrs. Weasley took that as permission as she reached out, sweeping the young child into a hug, knocking the breath out of him. Hermione observed he appeared to have frozen, his body stiff and unresponsive, but then he seemed to relax, his arms lifting to hug her back.

"You can call me Grandma," she said tearfully and they chuckled.

"Molly, you're suffocating my Grandson," her husband chuckled fondly and she quickly released him.

"Sorry, Dear,” she apologised sheepishly.

Taking his hand in hers, Hermione led Leo toward the kitchen where the table was lengthened and more chairs were conjured to better accommodate the large group. When dinner was served, conversation flowed easily, Hermione watching as Leo observed those around him cautiously but curiously.

"I don't like vegetables," Leo protested once Hermione had asked him to eat something.

"You'll like these vegetables, I promise."

"No, I won't," he argued.

"We'll make a deal, if you like vegetables... You have to wear underpants on your head."

"And if I don't?" He challenged, chuckles and sniggers sounding as they stared each other down.

"If you don't, you can have extra chocolate ice cream for dessert _and_ I'll let the twins prank me without retaliation."

"Deal," he agreed, slipping his hand into hers and shaking on it. He then reached for his spoon, dipping it into the hot dish and slipping it into his, quickly eating it. "Okay, fine," he huffed. "They're okay," he admitted.

"Thank you, but you still have to wear underpants on your head," Hermione told him, summoning a clean pair from his bedroom and slipping them on his head.

As laughter rang out, Oliver couldn’t resist summoning his camera and snapping a photo, Leo’s expression morphing from a sulky pout to a laughing smile.

When dinner had been eaten and dessert was served, Hermione gave Leo double helpings of chocolate ice cream

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Friday 20th November 1998**

In the early hours of the morning, Hermione was woken by cries bleeding through the speaker of the baby monitor and she was quick to hop out of bed and go to him. When she pushed the door open, Quaffle was lying at the end of the bed whimpering and Leo was curled up in a ball, crying. Her heart broke and she climbed on the bed, Leo uncurling his body and throwing himself at her, hugging her tightly as his tears wet her skin.

"Why did she kill herself?" Leo sobbed.

Hermione froze, her throat tight. "How do you she killed herself?"

"I heard the Aurors talking about it. Did she not love me?"

"Leo, your mum loved you _very_ much, of that, I can promise you,” she began softly, one hand rubbing over his back and the other holding her against him. “But she wasn't very well and instead of getting the help she needed, she chose to do things on her own. She didn't want people nosing around in her life and I don't blame her. The war was hard on all of us, some more than others and some people can't cope now that it's over."

"You did."

"Yes, but I had help from my family. I struggled after the war, I had terrible nightmares and I often woke people with my crying. I had them for years, but they only stopped recently. They stopped because I have Oliver and my family and they showed me that life is worth living. It's worth seeing what would become of the Wizarding World after we won the war. They showed me that I have a future and you're a part of that. Your mum loved you so much that before she died, she gave you to me and Oliver. She gave you to us because she knew that we love you and that you will be safe with us. We can give you a family that will care for you and we are both physically and financially able to look after you."

Silence fell around them until he gave a sniffle, whispering,

"I love you, Hermione."

Her heart melted.

"I love you, too," she pressed a tender kiss to his forehead and helped him to settle beneath the covers.

"Will you read to me?"

"What would you like?”

"Your books, mum sold the ones you sent me."

Hermione frowned at the news but nodded, summoning the first book from the library.

" _The Philosopher's Stone_ , this is about my first year at Hogwarts," Hermione explained, opening the cover and flipping to the first page. She shifted to get more comfortable, leaning back against the headboard and he snuggled into her side. "Are we ready?” She asked and he nodded, Quaffle moving to drape himself across Leo, pulling a giggle from the child when he licked his face, washing away his tears.

“Then let’s begin,” she cleared her throat, her eyes moving to the words on the page. “When I was eleven, there were many careers I wished to pursue when I was older. A doctor. A scientist. A archaeologist. A lawyer. But all of that changed upon the discovery that magic existed and that I was a witch. When I received my Hogwarts letter, I imagined many scenarios for my future. But I never imagined fighting for my life and being brought into a decade's old war that was set to bring the end of the wizarding population. This is the story of my life, once Hermione Granger but now Hermione Wood, and all the brave witches, wizards and magical beings that risked their lives to save the Wizarding World. Some survived and some did not, but they are heroes and they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. With this book, I will make sure of it."

Hearing a soft snore, she tore her eyes from the book and to Leo, smiling at the sight of his sleeping face. As she closed the book and set it on the bedside table, she caught sight of Oliver stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms folded over his chest and a sleepy smile on his face.

"Those monitors ye bought are amazing, they'll be great when the baby arrives, certainly better than any spell a’ve heard af,” he said. Smiling, she carefully shifted off the bed and crossed over to him. "A don' know what yer worried aboot." He pressed his hand on her stomach. "Yer gonna be a wonderful mother."

"You always know my worries and fears," she sighed. “Even before I know them myself.”

"Anno the feeling," he replied, smiling down at her.

"Should we wait to tell Leo about the pregnancy?" She nibbled at her lip.

"Aye, a think we should, jus’ until he's settled in an’ we’re sure he can handle the news tha’ he's gonna be a big brother. Now, naw more worrying, remember what we said earlier. Stress is bad fer the little one."

“I’m in the wrong line of work,” she sighed.

Chuckling, he slipped his arm around her and guided her back to their room.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Monday 23rd November 1998**

A couple of days had passed since Hermione and Oliver took custody of Leo and things had been going well so far. They spent all of Friday and Saturday at the apartment, giving Leo a tour, sitting in the library and playing muggle board games (something Thompson had joined in with, now being in the know and being sworn to secrecy to not tell anyone about Leo until they were ready) and during the evening, they’d watched movies in the media room before Leo fell asleep. After putting him to bed and turning in for the night, they’d been woken by his crying with Hermione tending to him and reading to him before he fell back asleep.

On Sunday, they’d spent the majority of the day at the Burrow, allowing for bonding between Leo and the others and when they returned homes later in the evening, he’d grown to be more comfortable around them.

But today, Hermione and Oliver had discussed taking a sick day, not wishing to leave Leo, however, there was a match scheduled for the following day and they were both required to be at the stadium. As such, they’d asked him what he wanted to do that and much to their surprise, he’d asked if he might spend the day with Quaffle at Shell Cottage. Neither Bill nor Fleur had taken much convincing, jumping at the opportunity to spend time with the new addition to the family.

"Okay, you've got your coat, hat, scarf and gloves, your spare change of clothes, wellies..."

"Yes, Hermione," Leo grumbled. Oliver laughed as Hermione fused over him and zipped up his newly bought winter coat.

"Well, it's winter now and the beach will be cold, I don't want you getting ill."

Leo huffed and Oliver laughed at the look of relief that crossed his face when Bill stepped out of the floo. His eyes searching for them, they widened slightly before a snort broke free.

"Hermione, you're suffocating the poor lad," Bill shook his head, crossing over to them and then unzipping Leo's coat and removing the scarf that Hermione had wrapped tightly around him.

Hermione frowned in concern, reaching to fasten the zip on Leo’s coat but Bill batted her hands away and Oliver sniggered.

"Are you sure you don't mind watching him for the day?" Hermione asked, her eyes darting to Leo worriedly.

"You're kidding, right? I took a day off work so I can spend some quality time with my new nephew." Leo’s cheeks tinted pink at Bill's words. "Besides, I need him to protect me from Fleur's wrath. I think she wants to kill me, her hormones are all over the place." Bill gave Oliver a knowing smirk. Hermione and Oliver had told the Weasleys not to mention the pregnancy to or around Leo, and so far, it had been kept a secret.

"You'll survive," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay, he's got everything he needs in his bag and..."

"If he needs anything else we’ll have it at the cottage and if we don’t, I’ll floo here and pick it up,” he interrupted. “Fleur's already making a big picnic for lunch, she can’t wait to spend some time with Leo, it takes her mind off the pregnancy... Although, Leo, your baby cousin has Fleur eating some strangely disgusting food combinations,” he grimaced, “And I suggest you run for your life when she offers you it." They laughed at him.

"We should be back no later than six-thirty," Hermione told him.

"I’ll bring him back around seven so you have time to make dinner."

Saying their goodbyes, Bill, Leo and Quaffle disappeared into the flames.

"See? Ye were worried aboot bein’ a terrible mother an’ yer already wrapping the kid up so tight and warm tha’ he could asphyxiate or combust,” he teased. "Yer gonna make a brilliant mother."

"I hope you're right," she sighed.

"Tha’s usually yer place in this marriage, but on this occasion, a don’ mind takin’ on the role. Now, let’s get tae the stadium. The quicker we do, the quicker the day goes by an’ we’ll be home with our little ones befere we know it.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 19

**The Burrow - Monday 7th December 1998**

"SURPRISE!" The crowd chorused and cheered the moment they stepped out of the floo.

"Happy Birthday, Leo," Hermione said, her hand settling on his shoulder.

Leo blinked in his surprise, his eyes wide and his mouth parted before a blush stained his cheeks and he ducked his head smiling shyly.

Almost three weeks had passed since Leo was placed in their custody and Hermione was honestly impressed and surprised with how quickly Leo had settled. It was now Leo's tenth birthday and they'd arranged a surprise birthday party for him at the Burrow. Those in attendance were the Weasleys and the Puddlemere team, all of them now being in the know about Leo, and they'd been sworn to secrecy, not to let slip to anyone including their partners.

Hermione observed with a smile as Leo was greeted with hugs, high-fives and fist bumps before they all convened in the living room, where a buffet had been prepared by Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Wood.

Upon the finishing of the buffet, Leo was sat on a chair before everyone so he might be handed his presents, the little boy being surprised with the number of wrapped gifts that waited for his unwrapping.

The twins had invented a new prank product solely for him and they'd even named it after him, too. Leo was over the moon with the gift, even choosing his first target so he might test it out, and that happened to be Charlie, as he'd pranked Leo the week before when they'd all attended dinner at the Burrow. Hermione knew the twins enjoyed having a little nephew they could corrupt and teach and she knew she'd have to keep a close eye on what they were teaching him, but given that Leo was happy, she was happy.

Charlie had gifted him a book on the subject of dragons, telling the birthday boy that he had to read it before he visited the Dragon Reserve where Charlie planned to allow him to pet and ride a dragon. The women all argued that it was far too dangerous and that he was out of his mind, but they were outnumbered by the men who waved off their concerns with eye rolls.

Percy and Audrey had gifted him a selection of his favourite candies, Bill and Fleur had given him French chocolates and confectionary, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him homemade fudge and a newly knitted scarf and hat. Mr. and Mrs. Wood had given him children's Quidditch equipment so that he might start learning to play under Oliver and the team's tutelage, something he'd nearly cried over. And the team had given him the collective gift of his own Puddlemere jersey, 'Leo, Junior Puddlemere Team Member, 18' scrawled on the back, it having also been signed by each member of the team. He'd been so excited he'd pulled it on over his shirt and beamed a large, toothy grin.

Hermione and Oliver had decided that despite barely three weeks having passed, they were going to tell Leo that they wished to adopt him. Given the circumstances, he'd been coping very well, more so that Hermione had anticipated, and it had been over a week since he'd had a bad dream or woke crying in the middle of the night. They also wanted to adopt him before Christmas as they wished to tell him about the pregnancy because Hermione's still flat stomach was only a few weeks away from swelling and being noticeable. They were nervous he wouldn't want to make it official but he'd unconsciously called Hermione 'mum' twice and Oliver 'dad' once in the little time they'd been together, so they were hopeful.

Leo looked to them expectantly, his eyes bright and wide and his smile happy.

"We have several gifts for you, Leo, and this is the first one," said Hermione.

Oliver pulled the wrapped back from his pocket and resized it before holding it out to him, his stomach fluttering nervously. The room filled with laughter as he hastily tore the paper from the box, the lid falling to the ground as he pulled free a stack of documents. His expression fell in disappointment in confusion.

"Thanks, Hermione, Mr. Wood," he said dejectedly, unsure what to do with it.

"Leo, look at the top af the page," Oliver instructed.

Leo's eyes shifted in search, reading aloud, "Legal adoption contract."

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to them in surprise as Leo's head lifted, his eyes widening. He may have been a ten-year-old for a matter of a few hours, but during his stay at the orphanage, the process of adoption had been explained to him, no matter of his refusal to speak.

"We want to adopt you, Leo," Hermione explained, gripping Oliver's hand tightly. "We want to make sure that there's no reason for you to be taken from us. Adoption will ensure that you are legally recognised as a member of the family and no one can argue against it."

"We don' want tae force ye intae anything," Oliver continued, "The paperwork is in yer hands an' it has already been signed an' filled oot by us, the Family Affairs Department an' yer caseworker. Given yer age, lawfully, yer deemed auld enough tae make yer own decisions an' tha's why we cannae adopt ye withoot yer permission. The choice is up tae ye, ye don' have tae sign it if ye don' want tae, we won't love ye any less," he assured the little boy.

"You... You _love_ me?" he said quietly, his gaze lowering.

"Very much," nodded Hermione, tears welling in her eyes. The hormones had been doing a number on her recently and the team had noticed she was easier to annoy than usual and had since been keeping their distance when she was at the stadium.

"Like our son," added Oliver.

"Do I have to change my name if I sign it?"

"Not if ye don' want tae."

Barely a second passed before he'd removed the accompanying quill from the box and messily scribbled his name in the marked section. Hermione and Oliver blinked in surprise, neither of them expecting his decision so quickly. They'd at least wanted him to take a day or two think about what it truly meant. They probably should of told him that, they realised.

"I... I want to change my name," Leo said shyly.

"We weren't sure if ye would, but we got ye a form from the Ministry on the aff chance," said Oliver, swallowing against the tightening in his throat, a warm feeling settling around his heart.

Leo'd signed the papers. He officially had a son.

"Leo Wood," Leo tried it out before nodding to himself, his expression brightening, his smile bigger than they'd seen it.

"Leo _Harrison_ Wood," Hermione corrected, reaching up to wipe a stray tear. "You can have both names."

Hermione took the pile of documents from him and she and Oliver quickly filled out the name changing forms, having Leo sign in the appropriate place when done. When they returned home, Hermione would make a copy of the documents for insurance purposes and the originals would be sent to the Ministry to be filed.

"I'm a real Wood now," Leo beamed. I have a mum and a dad."

Hermione felt her eyes welling with tears again and Oliver slipped his arm around her waist.

"And Uncles, Aunts, Grans and Grandads and an entire Quidditch team," added Hermione, smiling when Leo moved to hug them both tightly. .

"Now, it's time fer yer second present."

Oliver handed Leo a small wrapped box, the paper being removed to reveal a velvet casing. Eyes darted to each other questioningly whilst Mr. and Mrs. Wood couldn't help but smile.

When the box was opened, a silver signet ring sat wedged in the silk fabric. Stamped in the centre was the Wood crest and Leo's name was inscribed in the inside of the band.

"When ev'ry generation as Wood reaches a certain age, he is given a piece af jewellery stamped with the Wood family crest," Oliver explained. "Me ma has a broach an' me da has a ring, like we've given ye. Hermione an' a have cuff bracelets."

Hermione lifted the sleeve of her jumper to show him, and the look of pure delight on Leo's face was enough to make everyone in the room smile.

"Yer a Wood now an' we thought tha' ye were auld enough tae represent our family."

Leo beamed as he slipped the ring on his finger, his magically altering to fit him perfectly.

"And we have one final gift," Hermione spoke.

Everyone groaned. "Are you trying to outdo us?" Malloy said in mock annoyance. "Because you've already won the title of best gift-giver ever," he whined, snorts sounding from around him.

"Shut up," Hermione and Oliver chorused.

Hermione called for Tillie and she popped into view, a box in hand that was fitted with a bow and after handing it to Leo, she took her leave. Looking at his curiously, he removed the box and the lid, his eyes widening and a gasp of surprise falling from his mouth. Reaching inside, he drew back and in the palm of his hand sat a small snowy owl. He had brilliant white soft feathers with black speckles, giving him the appearance of a Dalmatian. The owl was unusual because he had bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle.

"Happy Birthday, Leo."

"You got me an owl?" He whispered, unable to take his eyes from the little owl in his hand.

"Aye," Oliver nodded. "We know yer've always wanted yer own pet, but we dinnae think ye'd want a cat an' we couldn't get ye a dog as not only would we risk Quaffle getting jealous, but ye wouldn't be able tae take it tae Hogwarts with ye. So, we got ye an owl, a very special owl. He's only three-months-auld an' he doesn't have a name yet, tha's fer ye tae choose."

Leo beamed. "Thank you. I love him. His name's Boo."

"Boo?" Was scarily chorused by those in the room.

"Boo, like a ghost, 'cause he reminds me of one and they say boo," Leo explained.

"Boo? I like it," Charlie agreed.

Hermione rolled her eyes when the owl flew away from Leo and over to Charlie, landing on his shoulder.

"You want to keep an eye on Uncle Charlie, Leo," Hermione warned. "He's already stolen the attention of Ali _and_ Quaffle."

They laughed because it was true. Both owls were sat on his shoulders as they affectionately pecked at his hair and Quaffle was sat by his feet, trying to chew at his boots. Charlie didn't look the least bit bothered by it.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

"We have something we want tae talk tae ye aboot," Oliver began, taking a seat on the edge of Leo's bed with Hermione by his side, her hand held in his.

Leo's eyes darted between them, his expression curious but nervous.

Sharing a glance with Oliver, Hermione looked to Leo and said, "I'm seven weeks pregnant."

Leo looked terrified.

"Does this mean you don't want me anymore?"

"NO!" Oliver and Hermione rushed out, unintentionally loud and the young boy startled, visibly lifting from the mattress.

"We wanted tae wait tae tell ye," Oliver calmed, softening his voice and seeing Leo seeming to calm, too. "We knew Hermione was pregnant befere we came tae the orphanage fer ye. We wanted tae wait tae tell ye until after ye'd settled in with the family an' after we'd asked if we could adopt ye. We dinnae want ye thinking we dinnae love ye 'coz we have a baby on the way. All this means is tha' ye'll have a sibling. It's a boy."

"We don't know that, it could be a girl," Hermione interrupted.

"It's a boy."

"Oliver, it could be a girl," she glared at him.

"So you still want me?" Leo spoke shyly.

"Of course, we do. That's why we adopted you, so nothing could take you away from us. We love you, Leo, you're our son," said, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Why're you crying?" The young boy frowned.

"It's her hormones," Oliver chuckled.

"Aunt Fleur was crying when I spent the day with her on Friday. She said she was so happy to have a nephew she could spoil and spend time with."

Oliver laughed. "Well, soon Hermione will be like tha'."

Hermione grumbled, smacking Oliver in the arm.

"When she's in a mood an' her hormones are acting up, run. Run fer yer life an' don' stop."

Leo laughed when Hermione hit Oliver again and he whined.

"I'm going to be a big brother?"

"You're going to be a big brother," Hermione confirmed, all too glad to accept his tight hug when he threw himself at her.

~000~000~000~

**Diagon Alley - Sunday 20th December 1998**

The Woods, Weasleys (except Fleur) and the team all port-keyed to the front of the orphanage just after lunch, following Hermione into the building as she led the way past the gawking staff members that mulled about.

"Can I help you?" A young woman stuttered in surprise.

"Yes, we would like to see Helen please," Hermione answered.

The woman barely spared a second glance before she'd disappeared, returning minutes later with Helen Tripp.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wood," she greeted kindly. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"We have a surprise for you, as well as the staff and children, and we'd like to ensure it is completed today so that everyone is settled before Christmas," answered Hermione, seeing the older woman tip her head curiously. "I brought some people I thought the children would like to meet," Hermione gestured behind her towards the team.

"Oh, I don't doubt they would be very pleased to meet you all. I am Helen Trip, the head of this orphanage and it's a pleasure to meet you all," she said kindly. "Please, follow me. The children should be finishing lunch in the dining hall."

Following after the older woman, she led the way and the moment they stepped inside, the hall fell quiet, all previous noise halting to a sudden stop before it was replaced by cries and shouts.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Hermione and I hope you don't mind us coming to visit you today," she said.

Smiling at their excited nods, Hermione stepped aside to quietly speak with Mrs. Tripp, explaining her plans for the day. After the older woman had a little cry and sniffle, the staff was gathered and given instructions and with the aid of Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Wood, Percy, Audrey, Bill and Charlie, they all set to work on magically packing everything in the orphanage away. From children's belongings, toys and clothing to office supplies, files and food items, all boxes being correctly labelled to ensure organisation.

Once done, they returned to the dining hall, all of the children's coats being summoned and given to the correct owner.

"I know that you're all going through a very difficult time, I lost both my parents to Death Eaters," began Hermione and the children gasped. After the war, everyone knew who Death Eaters were. "For the last month, I have been working on a project with the sole purpose to benefit you all and bring some happiness to your life, because that is what you deserve. With the help of some wonderful people, the project is now complete and just in time for Christmas. And in order to show you the results, a port-key is needed. You will be separated into groups and your adult will explain what you must do in order to travel safely. Understood? Excellent. "

~000~000~000~

**Wiltshire**

The sight that met them upon arrival was a large manor house of white brick surrounded by an expanse of grass.

"Everyone; staff and children, I would like to introduce you to your new home."

Hermione had been looking around for a property large enough to turn into a spacious home for one hundred and seven children and several staff members. Draco Malfoy, being the Head of his House and with Malfoy Industries having their fingers in many honey pots, had gotten word and informed her that there was a rundown and repossessed manor in Wiltshire, one he'd thought of purchasing but decided to offer it to her instead, should she want it.

Hermione hadn't thought twice about visiting Gringotts and offering a bid for more than what the property was worth, something they wouldn't turn down and ensuring that the paperwork was rushed through. She hired contractors in order to ensure the structural safety and she hired decorators to make the manor comfortable and homey.

After taking a trip to Muggle London, she'd acquired toys and muggle clothing in different sizes, as well as muggle technology including TV's, DVD players and age-appropriate DVD's, stereos and music. She'd also bought plenty of muggle garden games and several bicycles for the children. The grounds of the manor included a lake, gardens and a small Quidditch pitch, something Oliver had insisted was needed.

The manor was triple the size of the orphanage and that was just the outside, the inside was bigger with the aid of magic. And despite that, the children did still have to share bedrooms but it wouldn't be in such cramp conditions.

Hermione cleared her throat, the whispers dying down and drawing everyone's attention, though only the staff seemed to be actually listening to what she was saying.

"This manor consists of five floors, there are three staff rooms, three kitchens, seventy bedrooms for the children and several for the staff. There is a bathroom on the first three floors and each bedroom has its own bathroom and there is also a dining hall. There is one living room or communal area on each floor and one office on the first three floors, with the top two floors holding the bedrooms. The fifth floor houses the girls and the floor below houses the boys. On the third floor, there is a library that contains books on every subject you might imagine, both wizarding and muggle. There are also three media rooms. These contain muggle devices that provide entertainment."

"In addition, we have ten classrooms. The children may not be able to practice magic legally outside of school, or if underage, but that doesn't mean that they can't learn. I want to them the opportunities that they didn't have before. As such, I have hired several tutors who are willing to work five hours a day, four days a week. The lesson plans will include those that don't require practical magic, such as potions, arithmancy, muggle studies, divination, ancient runes, care of magical creatures and herbology. This will give the children an advantage over the other students when they first attend school."

"Also, on the grounds, there is a small Quidditch pitch, gardens and a lake. There is a shed on the grounds that holds many muggle outdoor games and equipment, as well as a broom shed that contains seventy rooms... The children will also be given flying lessons by..."

"US!" The team chorused with grins, Hermione chuckling when the children fidgeted excitedly.

"With the help of Madam Malkin, she has designed and made clothing especially for the children, and the contractors and decorators have made this manor as much of a home as possible. This manor and grounds belong to you. And before I let you explore, there are some people I would like you to meet... Kitty, Gunner, Micky, Lima, Jersy, Bunny, Jenson, Pixie, Nelly, Ziggy," she called softly, ten pops sounding as the house-elves appeared before her, bowing.

"Mistress," they greeted as one. Hermione smiled and gave her head a shake.

The staff to children ratio, Hermione knew they could do with more help with the running of the orphanage, particularly with the laundry, cleaning and cooking, allowing them to focus on the children rather. As such, she'd put a notice out that she was searching for some help, and she'd hired a number of house-elves who no longer had a master, losing them in the war. But she'd been adamant that they receive clothing, wages and time off. They had even made their own shift rota between them.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce to you the house-elves that will be helping around the manor. I expect them to be treated kindly and with the respect they deserve. They will not be expected to do everything as you will all have to help them in some way, even if it's picking up a dirty towel from the floor or putting your plate in the sink. They have their own house on the grounds and it is out of bounds to everyone. Does everyone understand?... Brilliant, please, introduce yourselves and your area of expertise," Hermione spoke softly to the house-elves, dismissing them once they'd finished. "Okay, that's everything, now, off you go and explore your new home. You'll have to share bedrooms so pick your roommate and find a bedroom."

Hermione waved her wand and the large doors swung open, the children all barrelling towards the manor. Chuckling, only she and Mrs. Tripp remained outside, everyone else having followed the children.

"I have absolutely no way to repay you for everything you have done for the children," Mrs. Tripp sniffled.

Hermione felt her eyes tearing up. "I didn't do this to receive payment. I did this for the children. I have the ability to improve their lives and give them opportunities they could never have even dreamed of having."

"We are incredibly grateful, Mrs. Wood."

"Please, my name is Hermione," she responded, pulling the older woman into a hug. "This is a privately run orphanage. I have all of the paperwork already processed and filed thanks to a little help from Minister Shacklebolt. The government won't be able to interfere with the orphanage unless a criminal act occurs on the grounds or by a resident, either staff or child."

"Oh dear," her brow furrowed. "Our funding..."

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Hermione interrupted. "My husband and I have set up an account that gives you a monthly allowance for food, clothing, books, health care and anything else that may be required. If there is not enough money or you require anything else, you must simply owl me and I'll have it taken care of. My husband and I have purchased twenty owls for the use of the orphanage and they should be here before New Year's. The grounds and the manor are in my mine and my husband's name for insurance reasons, but it is yours to do with as you wish."

"And seeing as it's privately run, have you chosen a name yet?"

"No," Hermione shook her head. "We thought that with it being a new residence and a new start, that you should be the one to name it."

"Anything I wish?"

"Anything you wish," she confirmed.

"In that case, I wish for it to be called Wood Orphanage."

"We don't want credit..."

"No, Dear, this isn't a form of repayment. This is for the children's sake. I want the children to know that there are good people in the world and that they can strive to be like them. The children look up to you and your husband and you have only proven yourselves to be remarkable role models."

Her eyes watering, she pulled the woman into a hug before drawing back and directing her wand towards the front of the manor.

"I have a suggestion, if you don't mind?"

Her brow furrowing in concentration, Hermione carefully directed the movement of her wand until a golden plaque sat above the large double doors. Inscribed in beautiful, black, bold cursive writing, was 'Wood Home' and beneath it was, 'est. 1998'.

"The manor is a _home_ and not an orphanage," Hermione explained, seeing the older woman's smile.

Hermione guided the older woman forward and when they stepped inside, she gasped in wonder, laughing in delight as children darted this way and that way, running up and down the stairs with the adults struggling to keep up with them.

"You'll make a wonderful mother," she commented.

"I hope I can be," Hermione replied. "Leo deserves someone he can rely on."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, I can see you and your husband love Leo dearly and it was proven when you adopted him. But my words were intended for the child you have on the way."

Hermione froze, hearing the older woman's laugh.

"How?" She choked. "I'm not showing yet, am I?" She looked down at her stomach, her eyes narrowing in scrutiny.

"Oh no, dear, but I can tell. You are glowing and you subconsciously touch your stomach." She chuckled when Hermione did just. "But, on the day you collected Leo, I witnessed your husband's expression of concern when you were carrying Leo's belongings. My husband was the same when I was pregnant with my daughter many years ago, it drove me insane," she laughed, shaking her head fondly. "If you don't mind my asking, how far along are you?"

"Almost nine weeks," Hermione admitted.

"Congratulations," she smiled "And I have no doubt that you and your husband will be wonderful parents. I have witnessed it with Leo. Does he know?"

"Yes, we told him after we sent off the adoption papers. We didn't want him to think that we would love him any less because we had a baby on the way, adopting him before telling him showed that we would always want him as our son."

"I have seen a remarkable change in Leo in only a few short weeks, he is in good hands. Don't worry, Dear, I won't tell anyone about the pregnancy. I can only imagine what would happen if the press got wind."

"Thank you" Hermione smiled gratefully, and with that, she gave Mrs. Tripp a tour of the building before the children were called together, Hermione removed all of the boxes from her beaded bag and the children were sent to unpack their own belongings whilst the house-elves did the rest.

"Am proud af ye," said Oliver fondly, watching as she dug through her beaded bag in search of any boxes she might've missed. She looked up at him and smiled. "Only ye could accomplish something so meaningful an' life changing in four weeks. Yer've changed their lives ferever."

"You helped," she shrugged.

"Naw, all a did was kept the children busy an' offered tae give them flying lessons. Ye did ev'rything else. Ye built them a home, ye provided them with ev'rything they could ev'r want or need. Ye took all af our untouched wealth an' used it tae do something good, an' with yer budgeting, ye barely made a dent in our vault... Am incredibly proud af ye an' what yer've done taday makes mae want tae love ye even more, but tha's not possible." Hermione gave a sniffle and she reached up to wipe at her eyes. He chuckled, reaching out and tugging her against him in a hug. "Hormones," he teased, laughing when she weakly hit him.

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London - Wednesday 23rd December 1998**

As the days and weeks of her pregnancy passed, she'd long since been introduced to the dreaded morning sickness. Luckily for her, there now potions with aided with that particular symptom, Hermione feeling sorry for the muggle women who had to rely on ginger and crackers. Her breasts had also grown larger, something Oliver appreciated and was more than happy to attend to no matter how many times she batted his wandering hands away, it actually encouraging him.

Her appetite had increased and she was now experiencing the phenomenon that was cravings, her first being cheese, ice cream and gravy. When Tillie had brought her as she wished (the little elf being over the moon with the news of a soon-to-be baby Wood to care for as well as Leo, someone she doted on) Oliver and Leo had promptly left the room.

Hermione had taken the day off from work to go shopping with Leo, wishing to grab a few last-minute deals, not that she wasn't already prepared, because Merlin knows she'd finished her Christmas shopping in October. But she wished to spend some time with Leo whilst she was still capable of walking around, and she wanted to begin purchasing items for the baby, wishing to be prepared.

They'd floo'd into the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley but they hadn't remained there long, wishing to avoid the press. The _Daily Prophet_ had gotten word of what Hermione had done for the children of the orphanage and she'd received many requests for interviews in two days from different newspapers and magazines from around Europe. They'd also discovered the news of them adopting Leo, the paperwork having been processed and filed, making it official.

They'd barely stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron before they were spotted and soon they were surrounded by a crowd and camera flashes were going off. Her displeasure had been known with the unhappy pursing of her lips and with the help of Tom, they'd managed to cross into the Muggle World where they wouldn't be followed.

They'd spent the morning browsing the shops and market stalls, Hermione purchasing muggle books on the topic of pregnancies (wishing to have all of her bases covered) and Leo had chosen a few children's books that had caught his attention. She'd purchased more DVD's, some for herself and Oliver to watch as they had a higher rating, and Leo had also chosen a few of his own, too. After purchasing some toys and a new dog bed for Quaffle, they stopped for lunch in a little cafe, Leo struggling between laughter and disgust when the cook happily catered to her cravings for the day, whilst he'd opted for a cheeseburger and chips with a lemonade.

As they continued with their browsing, slowly wandering down the street with Leo talking animatedly about how he couldn't wait to get home and watch the _Home Alone_ trilogy (Hermione insisting he had to watch all three of them) and _Jingle All The Way,_ ("because _he_ loved Christmas") they happened to wander past a doctor's surgery and Hermione paused in her steps contemplatively.

In the Wizarding World, pregnant women had one appointment to confirm pregnancy, which Hermione had already attended the Wednesday after they'd took Leo in and she was given a bag load of potions to aid in the baby being healthy and eradicating nausea, including vitamin potions which she had to take twice daily. They had another appointment around their third month and another around their sixth to seventh month, finally visiting when they were in labour. Hermione's Healer was a kind middle-aged woman and her files were confidential, meaning the press couldn't and wouldn't get word of the pregnancy, not without a few laws being broken, that it. But that appointed was a month ago.

The one thing she didn't like about the Wizarding World, was that she couldn't have an ultrasound scan as they didn't have a spell or the technology to allow that, which meant they couldn't see a photo of the baby. But in the Muggle World, it was possible.

With her heart set on having a physical and documented reminder of her pregnancy, (something she would later put in a scrapbook after the baby was born) she barely thought before tightening her hold on Leo's hand and leading them into the building, immediately feeling the warmth fending off the chill of the cold, snowy day despite Hermione having ensured both she and Leo were wrapped up warm and fitted with Warming Charm.

"How can I help you?" Was asked in a bored, monotone of voice by the young man behind the counter at the reception desk, his eyes locked on the computer screen before him.

"I was wondering when the next available appointment to see a sonographer would be," she responded,

The young man lifted his green eyes to her, freezing in place for a moment.

"Why is he staring at you like that?" Leo muttered, leaning closer to her.

His words had the young man clearing his throat and giving his head a shake, a blond strange of hair falling over a bushy eyebrow as he typed away at his keyword, the sound quite loud in the otherwise silent room.

"We have had a last-minute cancellation. The next available appointment is in forty minutes."

Hermione beamed. "Excellent, I'll take it."

Taken aback by her smile, it took the young man a moment to gather his wits and hand her the forms in which she needed to complete and sign.

"Would you like a hot drink, Miss...?" He paused, waiting for her to supply her name, hoping to God she wasn't married or that she had a partner.

There were only two reasons he held the job he currently did, him being sure one of them would get him fired should it ever be discovered by those that paid his wages. The first was that it was easy and required little effort. The majority of his workday required little movement or effort as he sat behind his computer, taking phone calls and booking and cancelling appointments, greeting clients that came to the surgery and ensuring the kettle was always filled with water so he might offer tea and coffee. The second reason and honestly, the most important to him, he had a bit of a kink for pregnant women. And where better to find one than a doctor's surgery that specialised in midwifery? If he was honest, in the three years he'd been at the surgery, he'd bedded almost a dozen pregnant and unattached women that had stepped through the doors. But that was to remain a secret. And the woman that stood before him, he wouldn't mind bedding her, too.

"Mrs. Wood," she supplied.

He felt his hope shatter, particular when he noticed her wedding and engagement rings on her finger when she reached out to take the forms from him. _She's rich,_ he thought. There was no denying that, seeing the quality of the bands and the largeness of the gemstones, _plural_.

"... If you wouldn't mind, please. It's rather cold out there today."

After asking her for her preference, he headed to the nearby staff room and she and Leo took seats on the comfortable armchairs with Hermione filling out the forms as honestly and quickly as she could. Of course, her address couldn't be used given she resided in Wizarding London, so, she used the address of her childhood home.

"Are we expecting your husband, Mrs. Wood?" The young man enquired after he returned with the hot chocolate she'd asked for.

"No, my husband's currently training," she replied, and seeing his confused look, she elaborated, "He's a professional athlete and I'm his Junior Coach."

His hope was completely shattered when he heard the news and saw the look of adoration on her face as she spoke of him. So, he deduced there wasn't a chance of her possibly being swayed towards him and cheating on her husband.

He'd done it before he'd gotten the job at the surgery and after getting his head bashed in by the woman's husband, he'd decided to stick to single, unattached pregnant women. But with a face like the woman's before him, he was almost tempted to try.

"He's going to be disappointed that he couldn't come with me today," she sighed, "He doesn't even know I'm here, this was a spur of the moment decision when I noticed the surgery as I walked by."

Giving her head a shake, she handed him the now complete forms and sipped at the hot chocolate before handing it to Leo. They were left alone and she busied herself with flicking through some of the magazines on a nearby table whilst Leo drew a picture using the paper and pencil the young man had given him to keep him occupied. Hermione would've thought that given the nature of the surgery, there might've been a small table with crayons or perhaps a toy or book to keep children occupied, but it seemed not.

When their wait was over almost fifteen minutes later, they were collected and escorted to the correct room, following the sonographer inside. As Leo took the chair by the wall, Hermione took a moment to examine the woman before her. She looked no older than late-twenties, her blonde hair was tied back in a tight knot at the nape of her neck, her skin pale and blemish-free and her eyes a pale blue. As expected, she wore medical scrubs in blue with comfortable white shoes on her feet and she carried a clipboard in her hand.

"Mrs. Wood, I am Amanda Tully," she introduced.

"Please, it's Hermione, and this is my son, Leo."

An eyebrow was arched in questions, having read the forms she'd filled out, stating that she'd never been pregnant before, as well as it containing her date of birth. She knew Hermione to be nineteen and the young boy looked no older than ten-years-old.

"It's nice to meet you," she tipped her head towards Leo.

Introductions aside, Hermione removed her coat and scarf and moved to lie on the examination table, unbuttoning her jeans and lifting her jumper as instructed. The cold gel was put onto her stomach with the scanner and the screen was switched on.

"Where's Mr. Wood today?" She asked conversationally with her eyes locked on the screen.

"My husband's at work. He doesn't know I'm here; I didn't even plan on coming here, if I'm honest. We happened to walk by and before I knew it I was asking for the next available appointment," she responded.

"Well, I imagine it will be quite the surprise when you return with the ultrasound."

Hermione chuckled. It would be a surprise to everyone given they had nothing even remotely similar to an ultrasound in the Wizarding World.

"Here we go," said Tully, turning the screen so Hermione might better see.

She squinted her eyes in search, her brow furrowing and lips pursing in concentration before she saw it.

"Wait, is that..." She trailed off, her eyes widening.

Tully nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Wood, you are pregnant with twins."

Hermione felt the tears welling in her eyes and her throat hurting at the effort off holding it back. When she thought she wouldn't be able to give Oliver children, she discovered she was pregnant. And she was ecstatic. Then they'd brought Leo into the family and she was over the moon. And now, she was finding out she was pregnant with _twins_. Oliver was going to be a father to not two children, but _three_.

"Is everything okay, Mrs. Wood?" Asked the blonde, giving her a look of concern.

"Yes, just fine, I'm sorry for crying," she sniffled, reaching up to wipe away the stray tear that escaped.

"Not to worry, I've yet to see a pregnant woman leave my office without crying, I understand it can be overwhelming," she assured her.

"It's just that there was a high possibility that I was infertile, and then my husband and I found out we were pregnant. Then we adopted Leo, and now I'm finding out it's twins."

She gave Hermione a smile. "The human body is a miraculous thing. Now, let's get you a copy printed," she said, turning away from her and putting her attention elsewhere.

"I'm going to be a big brother to twins?" Leo asked.

Turning her head, it was to see that Leo had moved from the chair and to her side, his eyes darting between her and the screen, squinting in confusion. Reaching out, she gestured to the two small bean-like shapes.

"You are, and there they are," she gestured to them.

"They're so tiny," he said in awed-wonder. "And they're in your tummy."

"They are and soon, mine will be as big as Fleur, bigger even because I'm having two babies and she's only having one." The smile that lit Leo's face was infectious. "What do you say we go and see dad at work and surprise him?

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium**

When they arrived at the stadium, it was a little after three o'clock and when Hermione noticed that the wives and girlfriends didn't appear to be on the premises, she couldn't help but grin and sigh in relief, knowing she could finally let the team in on their little secret without risk of them being overhead and it being leaked to the press.

"Junior, Leo? You took the day off," Coach Burton said in lieu of a greeting, his head tipping in confusion when he noticed their arrival, turning away from the players above.

"I know, but I have some news I wanted to share with you all," Hermione replied, unable to hide her smile.

"What?" He asked, eyeing her curiously but warily. Seeing this, she sniggered.

"You'll see," was all she said before drawing her wand and raising it high, conjuring hundreds of balls of soft blue lights, manoeuvring them high in the sky and manipulating their movement until they spelt out a single word.

Twins.

All of the players halted to a stop, looking to the light display in confusion, all but one understanding the meaning.

Oliver, taking only one glance at the spell used and the single word, knew it's meaning and he felt the breath being knocked out of him with the force of a being hit with a bludger.

"Wood? D'you know what that's all about?" Asked Bishop, he and the team having flown over to him and Kings waved a hand in front of his face, seeing that he'd apparently gone into shock.

Blinking slowly, being brought back to reality had it all sinking in. Twins. He felt his mouth pulling into a smile that he couldn't squash down, and he didn't want to. He was too happy. Leaving behind his confused teammates, he manoeuvred between them and flew down to the coach's box, barely paying them any mind as they followed him.

He dismounted his broom and dropped it carelessly to the floor, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to Hermione, a laugh sounding from her when he swept her off her feet, holding her against him as he spun happily. He set her down, muffling her laughter when he buried his hands in her hair and pressed his mouth to hers, the team wolf-whistling and Coach Burton snorting as he reached out, covering Leo's eyes with his hand.

Drawing back, Oliver pressed his forehead against hers, "Twins?" He questioned in disbelief. Hermione nodded, tears now streaking down her face. "Hoo d'ye know?"

"When Leo and I were shopping, we happened upon a doctor's surgery. Muggles have the technology to see inside the womb, and they had an appointment available, so I took it. I saw them, Oliver, I saw our babies," she said in a little above a whispered.

Pulling back from him, she dug into her coat pocket and removed the ultrasound scan, holding it out to him. He took it from her, his vision blurring as he stared down at the two bean shapes, two tiny developing babies that were half him and half Hermione. His smile was bright and his hand came up to rest against her covered stomach, feeling her hand move to rest above his.

"Our babies," he muttered in awe, unable to take his eyes from the scan.

"Does someone want to explain what's going on?" Thompson voices, his tone filled with annoyance, matching his expression.

Sniffling, Hermione briefly shared a glance with Oliver as he finally tore his eyes away from the scan, agreeing it was time to tell them. With her being pregnant with twins, she knew her she'd likely show earlier than twelve weeks.

"I'm nine weeks pregnant with twins," Hermione confessed.

She was met with silence and dumbfounded expressions before she startled when cries, cheers and applause sounded, Hermione finding herself being surrounded by overly excited professional athletes that took it in turns to hug her, though not too tightly, she noticed.

"The first Quidditch baby... _Babies_ ," Pallie corrected, "I knew it'd be you." The team chorused a laugh and agreement. "We're going to be Uncles," he beamed and Hermione laughed. "Wait, should you be working?" He questioned in concern. "You're on feet all day..."

"Stop it, I've got one over-protective wizard in my life," she gestured to Oliver with a jab of her thumb, "I don't need fourteen more. I am perfectly fine to work, as confirmed by my Healer. If you have an issue with her decision, take it up with her."

"Maybe we should get you a nice couch," said Thompson, "So you can sit down and be comfortable, rather than sitting on the stands."

"I have an office with a chair, couch and lounge chair, I am fine," she promised with a roll of her eyes. "But I am going to have to speak to the bosses."

"Why?" Coach Burton arched an eyebrow.

"The twins are due during mid-game season, and that might cause some issues."

"Don't worry about it. If they fire you, I'll quit," Coach assured her.

"Me tae," Oliver injected.

"Us too," the team chorused passionately.

"Yeah, there's not a chance in hell we'll let them take you from us," added Malloy.

Hermione burst into tears.

"Er, did we say something wrong?" Bishop questioned, eyeing Hermione in horrified concern.

"Hormones," Oliver and Coach Burton replied knowingly, the former allowing his wife to cling to him and snot on his training uniform whilst his teammates looked horrified.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow**

Upon the ending of the workday, the Woods didn't floo to the apartment as they'd previously intended but rather they headed to the Burrow, knowing that everyone would be gathered for the holidays and they wished to tell them the development with Hermione's pregnancy.

Charlie was back from Romania for the holidays and he would be staying in his old bedroom, the twins in theirs, Bill and a seventh month pregnant Fleur were staying in his old bedroom whilst Percy and Audrey were residing in his. Mr. and Mrs. Wood were staying at Wood Manor but were expected to floo over to the Burrow the following morning, Leo was staying in Ron's old bedroom with Quaffle and the owls, and Oliver and Hermione would be staying in Ginny's old room. However, they were staying at the apartment that night and flooing over in the morning.

"There's my Grandson," Mrs. Weasley beamed, pulling Leo into a bear hug.

"Hiya, Gran," he greeted, confidently waltzing into the kitchen to greet everyone else once she released him.

"We weren't expecting you until the morning," she said with a smile, hugging them both.

"We have some news and we couldn't wait to share it with you," explained Hermione, she and Oliver stepping into the kitchen and being met with chorused greetings. They sat for dinner, Mrs. Weasley having made plenty to cater to three extra mouths (four if one counted Quaffle) and once done, they convened in the living room.

"So, Hermione, Oliver, what's this news you wish to share?" Pressed Mrs. Weasley, all eyes turning to them expectantly.

Sharing a smile with Oliver, she removed the ultrasound scan from her pocket before making enough copies to ensure there were enough to pass around.

"I don't get it," Charlie frowned, scratching at the side of his head. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Today, I unexpectedly decided to get an appointment with a sonographer. Muggles have technology that is capable of showing the inside of the womb. What you're looking at... Those two small bean shapes... They're our nine-week-old twins," she explained.

It took all but five seconds for the news to sink in before Fred and George chorused, "TWINS!"

Excitedly, they sprung from their seats and dashed over to her, squashing them between them. It took a few moments longer before the others finally digested the news and when they did, Hermione found herself being passed around the group as hugs and kisses to the cheek were bestowed upon her, as well as tears in the case of the women.

"Dear, now you've given me three grandchildren in as little as four weeks," she cried wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her cardigan. Everyone laughed at her. "But I don't understand; twins usually run in the family, my brothers were twins, hence Fred and George"

"Well, we don' have twins in our family tree, only one male child per generation," said Mr. Wood.

"There is in mine," Hermione admitted.

"You never mentioned anything about twins," Fred said, looking at her strangely.

"My mum was a twin but my Aunt Christa died before I was born, so I obviously never met her, and from what I remember, she and my mum didn't really get along. Anyway, according to the sonographer, I'm due around the 24th of July."

"This is the best Christmas ever," Oliver decided, slipping his arm around Hermione with his hand splaying on her stomach.

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow – Friday 25th December 1998**

Presents had been opened and Christmas dinner had been eaten. Hermione had received many wonderful presents from her family including a beautiful tanzanite charm bracelet from her husband and a photo frame that held a photo of her and Leo, with 'I love my mum' scrawled around the frame, something that had Hermione bursting into tears. She'd hugged Leo so tightly, the twins had to pry her off him so he could breathe, the little boy going red in the face.

Fleur was currently taking a nap, Oliver's parents, her pseudo parents and Percy and Audrey were convened in the living room and everyone else was outside in the snow. They were all sporting Weasley jumpers as per tradition, and despite wearing hats, scarves and gloves, there were without coats with Hermione having applied the strongest Warming Charm she knew twice to each of them, allowing for easier movement without the restriction of so many layers.

Hermione was comfortably perched on a chair, her eyes locked on the sky above. She and Oliver had bought Leo a broom for Christmas. The WindRider was said to be the safest broom made to date, it was fitted with extra comfort charms, it gave the flyer perfect control and it was also the fastest broom made. It wasn't technically due to be released for another six months, but with Hermione and Oliver being who they were, they were sent one immediately after their enquiry.

And as Oliver, the twins, Bill and Charlie were hovering around Leo protectively, teaching him to fly and surrounding him strategically so all sides would be covered should he fall and they needed to catch him quickly, Hermione observed, terrified at the prospect her little boy potentially getting hurt but happy to see he was enjoying himself immensely (if his laughter was anything to go by) and she was happy to see he was a fast learner, too.

She smiled, one hand subconsciously rubbing over her clothed stomach and the other grasping her necklace, the one Oliver had gifted her on her birthday.

"That's your family, little ones," Hermione said softly, looking down at her stomach. "You are loved, you are protected and you are safe," she promised.

Oliver took that moment to fly to the ground, catching the end of her words as he set his broom aside and approached. Stopping before her, he held his hands out, helping her to stand before tugging her against him, his arms folding around her.

" _All_ our children are loved, protected an' safe," Oliver vowed.

Hermione sighed, warmth flooding her. "I love you."

"A love ye, Sparrow."

She reached up, her mouth pressing against his, her tongue greeting his when he parted her lips and it swept into her mouth. Hearing her sigh, his mouth tugged into a smile.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 12

**Thursday 24th December 1998**

Harry, Ron and Ginny had spent almost eight months travelling the world. Sometimes they went muggle and used trains, buses and coaches and they'd once used an aeroplane -but never again after Ron and Ginny's meltdown- and sometimes they apparated. They'd been careful to remain in the Muggle World where Harry was unknown and they could be regular tourists without being recognised by the public. They'd travelled through Europe, South Africa, both Americas and Australia, sometime staying for a few days, sometimes a week and if they really enjoyed it, they stayed for a few weeks before packing up and moving onto their next destination.

They'd left the Wizarding World behind along with the aftermath of the war and their family. Harry had removed more than enough from his Gringotts vault to fund their travelling, particular after it had been exchanged for muggle currency. After borrowing one of Hermione's bags that were fitted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, (the witch being paranoid and having made more than one) they travelled light with only a duffle bag each, if only to keep up appearances.

With their disappearance from the Wizarding World, brought the start of Harry and Ginny's relationship, and Ron kept himself busy by sleeping with any woman he was able to pick up from a bar or club. When they'd first left Britain, Ron had told Harry and Ginny that he and Hermione were officially together and they'd been happy for him, but the first time Ron had slept with a random woman, Harry had pulled him aside and proceeded to yell at him for cheating on Hermione. Ron had convinced Harry that Hermione would understand that he had needs and with her not being with them, he had to find someone else to help take care of those needs. Since then, the subject had been dropped and Harry never spoke of it again.

It was now Christmas Eve and they were in India. Harry missed the Weasleys and he missed Hermione. He wanted to know how she was dealing, feeling guilty for leaving her behind but he'd always known that Hermione was stronger than him, that if anyone could handle the aftermath and spotlight, it was her.

He just wanted to be free of people's expectations and opinions. He hadn't thought of packing up, leaving everything behind and travelling the world; that had been Ginny's idea, and she'd quickly had Ron's support, which led to his own agreement.

He wondered about the Weasleys and how they were doing; he assumed Fred had died from his injuries and knew that George would be taking it the hardest, given how close they were. He silently admitted that they should've stayed until after Fred's funeral instead of running away, but he was a coward. He couldn't face the death of his friends, of his loved ones or the people that fought for him and with him. He just couldn't. So that night he left, taking Ginny and Ron with him.

"I want to go back," Harry voiced unexpectedly, pushing himself up into a sitting position, his eyes darting from the beautiful waterfall before him and moving to Ginny and Ron who were eating lunch.

"Why?" They chorused, their expressions pinched and disagreeing.

"It's Christmas Eve," he shrugged one shoulder, his hand moving to pick at the blades of grass beneath him. "I want to go back for Christmas. I miss everyone and we haven't contacted them, the least we can do is show our faces and let them know we're fine. We can tell them about our travelling and the things we've seen... Think of their reactions when they see us. Ron, imagine how happy Hermione will be to have you back. I bet she's missed you..." Harry sighed, giving his head a shake. "I wonder if she got a job at the Ministry and is terrorising the house-elves again, or if she went back to Hogwarts."

~000~000~000~

**The Burrow - Friday 25th December 1998**

Given the short notice of their travel plans, they'd struggled to find appropriate means of travel, and after using magic to help gain access to otherwise fully booked trains, they finally found themselves in England by late afternoon Christmas Day.

Apparating to Devon required a few breaks in-between to allow their magic to refocus and their bodies rest and when they finally landed with 'cracks' on the grounds of the Burrow, Harry felt a smile tug at his mouth, feeling the familiar wash of magic and wards brush against his face, it being the only part of him that wasn't covered with clothing. It had been a major shock to their systems, coming from the hot tropics of India to the freezing temperatures of Britain, but Harry hadn't minded. If he was honest, he much preferred the cold to the hotter climates. If he was cold, he could bundle up warm, if he was too warm, he suffered and sweated through every piece of clothing he wore, and his glasses fogged it.

He hadn't realised just how much he'd missed the Burrow and with that, he was the first to begin his approach towards the topsy-turvy house that had been more of home to him than anything else.

Nearing the property, his eyes were drawn skywards, spying the dots that darted about in the air. Merlin, he'd missed flying on a broom. He felt his smile widen, it seemed that some things never changed at the Burrow.

His mind filling with potential scenarios of what might happen when they reached the house, and what they'd find, he halted to a sudden stop, his mouth parting and his eyes widening at the most unexpected sight.

Hermione (and Merlin how she'd changed since he'd last seen her) was pressed against a man's chest, their arms folded around one another as she had her tongue down his throat. Given the angle and Hermione's mass of her, he couldn't see who it was but he was sporting what was unmistakably a Weasley jumper.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Ron's exploded in fury, Harry visibly startling and almost losing his footing on the snow beneath his feet.

Hermione and the man drew back from each other, neither looking embarrassed as they turned towards them, but Hermione's eyes did widen comically and her mouth did drop open, her breath seeming to escape her. In turn, Harry parroted her reaction at seeing who she'd been kissing. Oliver Wood, his old Quidditch Caption from Hogwarts.

"Oh My..." Hermione whispered, trailing off.

It was at that moment that Leo chose to descend to the ground, hopping off his broom and running to Hermione and Oliver, laughing joyously.

"Mum, Dad!" He called, a giggling falling from him when he almost tripped over his own feet on his approach. "Uncle Charlie said I can stay with him in Romania for a few days. Can I go? Please?" He begged, skidding to a stop before them, oblivious to the tension that surrounded him, as well as the three people staring at him in confused surprise.

Harry's eyes widened even further. _Mum? Dad? Uncle Charlie?_

Oliver cleared his throat, looking down to the hopeful little boy. "Leo, if ye wanna visit with yer Uncle Charlie, tha's fine, but not taday, obviously. Maybe when he returns tae Romania. Why don' ye go inside an' get some hot chocolate from yer Gran?" Oliver suggested, his eyes lifting to the trio that stood opposite, a good few feet of distance between them. He wanted Leo far away from whatever was about to happen, and he knew it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone involved. "Take yer WindRider with ye; otherwise, the twins will have a joy ride."

Leo laughed. "Thanks, you're the best," he grinned up at them as he hugged them both around the waist before drawing back and rushing into the Burrow.

"I ASKED YOU A FUCKING QUESTION!" Ron snarled, dropping his duffle bag to the ground, his hands clenching into fists and his face turning red in anger. "YOU SLUT! YOU'RE CHEATING ON ME!"

Harry darted his eyes between them, seeing Hermione's usually kind features twisting into something dark and cold, hatred, anger and disgust filling her expression as her hands fisted tightly and her hair sparked.

The loud shouting was heard by everyone, bringing those in the air down to the ground, and those inside the Burrow, outside. As expected, they wore matching expressions of confusion and surprise.

"How dare you!" Hermione hissed, blind to Oliver's concerned gaze darting between her and her stomach. If things got too out of hand he would step in, he didn't want Hermione or the babies getting stressed. "We are _not_ dating; you stuck your tongue down my throat at the Final Battle. I never wanted that to happen. I am not now, have ever and I will never date you. You ran away like a damn coward. You have no idea what you left behind, what we had to put up with!"

"HOW LONG DID YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SLEPT WITH HIM, YOU SLAG?" Ron roared, spittle falling from his mouth.

Oliver honestly tried to stop it but realised he failed when he stepped away from Hermione's side, his hand balling into a fist and he slugged Ron across the jaw. Oliver had speed, height, weight and the element of surprise over Ron, it all combining in a result of the redhead tipping back, losing his balance and falling to the snow-covered ground.

Feeling highly satisfied within him (he wasn't sure which felt better, punching Krum or Ron) he turned to look over his shoulder at the sound of applause and whistles, seeing it belonging to the twins and they gave him a proud thumbs-up, followed by more applause and cheering.

Containing his amusement at their response, he turned back to Ron, his expression morphing into dislike and anger.

"A'd be more careful with hoo ye speak aboot me wife, if a were ye," Oliver warned, ignoring the surprised eye-widening of the three newcomers.

He felt Hermione move to stand beside him, her hand reaching for his silently and her magic gently washing over him, taking away any pain and preventing any swelling. In thanks, he threaded his fingers through her and squeezed gently, allowing Harry to catch a glimpse of their wedding rings.

She tugged at him until he stepped back, everyone else soon flocking to them, surrounding them in support.

"You're alive," Ginny choked, her eyes locked on Fred, as if seeing a ghost.

Fred glared at his sister in disapproval and disappointment, he and George stepping closer to Hermione and Oliver, moving to stand on either side of them.

"Evidently," he replied frostily, his expression serious and closed off, his arms folding over his chest. "Of course, you wouldn't know that because you left the night I was taken into hospital on my death bed."

A sudden laugh drew their attention as Ron rose to his feet, giving his head a shake. "How'd she get you?" He looked to Oliver, his expression one of amused pity. Oliver didn't care for it and he wanted to punch him again, but Hermione's grip tightened on his hand, as if knowing. "Did she prance around in tight clothing? Naked? I always knew she was a galleon digging whore. Did she put out? I bet she doesn't anymore, right?"

It wasn't Oliver that closed the distance, it was Fred and George, the former hitting Ron in the face with the force only a Beater was capable of, and when on the ground, George took the opportunity to deliver a swift kick to the stomach until Ron gasped out a groan of pain.

Gasping in horror, Mrs. Weasley made to step forward and intervene, to tend to her son, but her husband held her back, knowing they had to get it out of the system.

The trio had hurt everyone when they left, but no more so than Hermione. She'd been devastated, lost, and when she'd formed her friendship with the twins, they became a part of each other. If one was hurting, they were all hurting.

"She sleeping with you as well, isn't she?" Ron sneered from the ground, his gloved hand reaching up to wipe away the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Charlie stepped forward, plucking Ron from the ground by the lapels of his coat before setting him on his feet and shoving him backwards, barely being caught and righted by Ginny.

"Actually, you dumb prick," Charlie began, looking to Ron in disappointment. "Hermione was wealthy _before_ she married our brother-in-law here," Charlie clapped Oliver on the shoulder.

"She's not family," Ron sneered.

"She's our sister," was unintentionally chorused by the twins, Percy, Bill and Charlie, but it seemed to help drive their point home.

Ginny, her cheeks flushing and finding her voice, cried, "I'M YOUR SISTER!"

"No, you're not," Fred scoffed. "Hermione's our sister. You abandoned us when we needed you. Hermione stayed."

"She took care of us," George added, looking down his nose at her, "Of Fred when he was on his death bed."

Harry had been silent since their arrival, taking the time to slowly take in the obvious changes that had occurred in their absence. One, Ron and Hermione had never been together despite what Ron led him to believe. Two, Hermione was _married_ to Oliver Wood and apparently had a child even though he couldn't understand how given the age of the child, and that they'd only been gone eight months. Three, their protectiveness over Hermione was evident in the way they'd defended her, harmed Ron and were flanking her.

The only one who looked to be pleased to them was Mrs. Weasley, but she was being held back her husband who wore a grim expression.

"What iz going on out here?" At the sound of the French accent, all eyes turned towards the Burrow, a heavily pregnant Fleur waddling towards them, holding the hand of the young child and a large, fluffy dog walking beside her protectively. The trio's eyes widened.

Fleur, seeing the trio, paused in her steps and muttered a French swear word, one Leo neither heard nor understood. Continuing with her steps, she stopped before Bill, her husband slotting his arms around her. Leo moved to hold Hermione's hand, standing before Oliver.

"Mum, what's wrong? Who are these people?" The little boy questioned, his eyes darting between them before it seemed to click in his mind. He'd seen their photos before around the Burrow and in the newspapers. They were Harry Potter, and his Uncle Ron and Aunt Ginny.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Hermione answered, forcing herself to soften her tone as to not make him think she was upset with him. "They're no one, don't worry about it. Why don't you take Quaffle and go and pack your things? We're going home, find Boo and Ali and put them in their cages."

"Okay, I'll be in my room. Let's go, Quaffle."

Quaffle looked up at Hermione in confirmation and she nodded. Quaffle turned around and snarled at the trio and they took a step back, the twins sniggering as he and Leo headed for the Burrow. With Leo out of earshot, she looked to the trio, her displeasure once more resurfacing.

"You have no right to question me or anyone else, you worthless pile of shite... I don't owe an explanation to any of you. You left me and your family. We didn't know where you were, what you were doing, or even if you were alive. You went muggle, didn't you? You had to, otherwise, there would've been sightings of you. If you hadn't, you'd know everything that's happened. You'd know that Fred was in a coma for two weeks before he woke and was released from the hospital. You'd know that I married a kind and caring man that I love in July, that Percy married a wonderful woman in August..." The trio's eyes went to Percy and the woman stood beside him. "You'd know that Fleur and Bill are due to become parents to a baby girl in February, or that the twins have opened a second shop in Hogsmeade. You gave that up for your own selfishness. And honestly, I never want to see you again." Pinning them with a glare, she turned and made to head towards the Burrow, being followed by Oliver and the twins, but she paused. "By the way, Ronald, I _was_ a virgin when I married Oliver," she admitted, putting the emphasis on 'was'.

"Whoa, whoa!" The twins complained, covering their ears.

"Hermione dinnae have tae do anything tae get me attention," Oliver added.

"That's because of the Marriage Law," Bill pointed out amusedly.

"Marriage law?" Ron spluttered, laughing soon following. "That's why you married her? Because you were forced to? I feel sorry for you, Mate, she's not exactly a looker and I bet she's a right frigid cow. Does she make you sleep on the couch or use pillows as a wall?"

Ron's laughter suddenly turned from laughter and to screams, balls of snot fitted with wings surrounding him but he'd also been hit with a Sticking Charm, preventing him from moving. They looked to Hermione expectantly, but she was looking to Fleur, her mouth twitching in pride.

Fleur's expression was angry and unforgiving, but she did release Ron from the hex when Hermione gestured to him with a slight nod of the head.

"Zat is enough you horrible _little_ _boy..._ Hermione and Oliver married because zey love each ozher. Everyone has witnessed it. Zey are perfect for each ozher and nozing you say will change zat fact. Ze Marriage Law brought zem togethzer, but zey married on zer own, because they wanted to." Waddling over to Hermione and Oliver, she reached for their wrists and lifted their jumper sleeves, the golden bands shimmering proudly. "You can say what you want about zem, you can call Hermione a slut and Oliver an idiot, but zey are meant to be togethzer. You are just an inzignificant little child. Hermione and I have become very close and I love her like a zister, she does not dezerve your terrible treatment of her. She does not dezerve to have hideous people like you in her life."

Hermione gave a sniffle, which seemed to be Fleur's trigger as she hugged the younger witch.

"Hormones," Bill rolled his eyes good-naturedly, sharing a knowing look with Oliver.

"Let's go, Cherie, we can continue our feztivities at your apartment where _certain people_ will not be."

They took their leave, being followed by Oliver's parents, Bill and Charlie. Percy remained behind for a moment before he took Audrey's hand looked to the trio and they made to follow.

"Not you too, Perce, she's turned you all against us," Ron said angrily.

Percy paused, turning to look at his younger brother. "No, _you_ turned us against you when you left. You betrayed this family, worse than I did during the war. You have no idea what Hermione's been through. Do you know what happened to Hermione's parents?"

"They're in the Muggle World, obviously," he folded his arms over his chest arrogantly.

"Idiot," he shook his head. "She _Obliviate_ 'd them during Christmas her sixth year and she sent them to Australia. They were found by Death Eaters, tortured and slaughtered, and she received word about their deaths before Bill's wedding." Ron's arrogant expression fell from his face and Harry felt bile rising in the back of his throat. "Did you know that in her third year she took the brunt of Lupin's attack and as a result, she has lupine traits and is affected by the full moon? Did you know that Hermione was surviving on four hours of sleep because she had nightmares every night? Or that she starved herself when you were on the run so that the two of you could eat? She was almost skin and bones after the war. How about that she was tortured for hours when you were captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor? What about that she was distraught when she had to tell Oliver that she may never be able to give him children because her body had suffered too much?"

Percy deliberately left out the fact that she was pregnant, just to add to the guilt. He had the feeling they wouldn't be sticking around for long, so it was none of their business.

"When Fred was released from the hospital, she moved in with the twins, and they spent every day and night together; they were inseparable. She became a part of them, just as they became a part of her. They were up every night comforting her when her screams woke them, they watched what she ate and helped her to improve her health. They were there when she cried because of you. When Hermione couldn't leave the flat without being ambushed by the public or reporters, Fred and George were with her, protecting her. Face it, you don't have a part in her life anymore. The twins filled the gap in her heart and she's better with them than she ever was with you. Hermione's too kind and loyal for her own good; you caused all her suffering because you dragged her through it. We picked up the pieces when you left and you are not welcome in her life. She is happy with her family, with her husband and her son. She moved on, leave her alone."

Mr. Weasley was staring at Percy in pride, Audrey love and Mrs. Weasley shock.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

Stepping out of the floo with his wife at his side, Percy followed the voices that led him towards the kitchen. As they approached, he saw the table had been enlarged, chairs had been conjured and they were sitting around it, with the exception of Leo and Quaffle, the latter he could hear out on the balcony.

The twins, Charlie, Bill, Oliver and Mr. Wood all had a muggle beer in hand, Mrs. Wood a glass of wine whilst Fleur and Hermione looked longingly at the alcohol and disappointed as they sipped at their non-alcoholic beverage. Seeing their arrival, Percy was handed a beer and Audrey a glass of wine.

"Where's Leo?" Percy asked.

"In his room deciding what tae take tae Romania," Oliver answered amusedly.

"What happened after he left?" Hermione looked to Percy, all eyes moving to him expectantly.

"I put them straight," Percy answered, seeing the questioning expressions he received but he didn't elaborate further.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You should've seen him, it was amazing," Audrey said proudly, Percy being teased when the tips of his ears turned pink.

An hour later, they'd moved from the kitchen and to the living area. Bill and Fleur sat together on the couch with Quaffle being asleep, his head resting on Fleur's swollen stomach as she absentmindedly ran her hands through his fur. Oliver's parents, Percy and Audrey had taken seats on the corner suite, the twins, Leo and Charlie on the floor, surrounding the glass table as they played a muggle board game, and Hermione and Oliver occupied the armchair, Hermione on Oliver's lap with her feet hanging over the side of the armrest and her back pressed against the other.

When the floo roared to life, all eyes turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley approach.

"You forgave them, didn't you?" Hermione said knowingly.

"Yes, they're staying in their rooms for the time being. Hermione, Dear, if you just..."

"No," Hermione interrupted. "I understand they are your children and that you've chosen to forgive, but don't even think about trying to convince me to do the same. It's not going to happen. They abandoned us in the time we needed them and they left behind a shit storm. They're cowards and that's nothing something I can forgive. I am not forgiving them, no matter what you and anyone else might say."

"Neither are we," the twins agreed, a hardness to their tone.

"But..."

"No," Hermione, Fred and George chorused.

"It's their choice, Molly. If I weren't their father, I likely wouldn't forgive them either," Mr. Weasley confessed.

She looked to everyone else expectantly, sighing when they all shook their heads, signalling they weren't going to forgive them either. She allowed her husband to guide her towards the corner suite and she took a seat.

"Well, Ron was reacquainted with the wooden spoon, as I promised," she told them, receiving snort sand sniggers.

"I hope they stick around," injected George, seeing their confused stares.

"Do you know how many products we've designed specifically to be tested on them?" Fred explained.

"Hoo are ye doin', Hermione?" Mr. Wood checked, concerned for her. "The twins alright, not tae stressed?"

"We're fine, I really wish I could have a drink though," she said sadly and they laughed at her.

Unknown to them, three people had waited to hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley call out the address of Hermione's residence, allowing a few minutes to pass before they followed, their entrance being covered by laughter.

When they stepped out of the floo, their eyes widened in surprise at the size of the living area before they landed on the walls covered in wizarding photographs, but some muggle photographs too. There were photos of Hermione and Oliver, photos of the family, photos from the wedding, photos of Leo, photos of Hermione and the team, there was a photo of Quaffle in his Wood jersey and there was a large photo frame Hermione had moved next to Oliver's Puddlemere Quidditch jersey with a photo of the team after the League Cup win, plus, a framed copy of the newspaper article written after Puddlemere's win. They had also put up photos from Leo's birthday party and the photos of him with underpants on his head.

That's when Harry realised that he truly had missed out on so much of Hermione's life and he'd only been gone eight months. What would he have missed if he'd been gone a year or two? As far as he could see, there were no photos of him, Ron or Ginny; every photo seemed to be taken after the war and after Hermione met Oliver.

 _Maybe leaving wasn't the best decision I've made,_ he thought sadly, that sadness morphing into surprise at the next words that flittered to his ears.

"Am not having ye get our boys drunk befere they're even born," joked Oliver.

"It could be girls. Hell, we could have one of each," Hermione argued.

"They're boys," Oliver shrugged confidently and Hermione rolled her eyes. Leaning down, Oliver lifted the hem of Hermione's jumper until her stomach was revealed. "A'll stick up fer ye lads, Anno yer boys even if yer mummy doesn't wanna admit tha' yer dad's right."

He pressed a kiss to her stomach before following that with blowing a raspberry against her skin, Hermione's laughter peeling from her as she wriggled and struggled to break free. He wasn't releasing her and he doubled his efforts, avoiding her swatting hands as her laughter mixed with that of the others.

"Mum, Dad, those people are here," Leo's voice cut through the laughter, silence immediately falling.

The twins, Charlie, Bill and Percy were quick to stand to their feet whilst Oliver lifted Hermione from his lap and also stood, his unhappy gaze meeting the trio.

"How the hell did _they_ get in here?" Fred said angrily.

"The floo's keyed to allow the team, Woods and Weasleys into the apartment. Harry was accompanied by two Weasleys, whether I intended to allow them access or not, they were able to pass through the wards as they share your DNA," Hermione answered. "I'll be putting up tighter security from now on," she promised.

"Why are ye here?" Asked Oliver. "Ye have naw right tae be in me home."

"I HAVE JUST AS MUCH RIGHT AS ANYONE!" Ron bellowed.

Quaffle woke with a start before jumping from the couch and walking towards Hermione, standing before her protectively as she growls rumbled in his chest in warning. The twins smirked when they saw Ron, Ginny and Harry take a slight step back, reminding themselves to buy him a new chew toy.

"Quaffle," Hermione said softly, reaching out to run her hand through his fur and although he didn't lose his defensive stance, he did stop growling. "Leo, why don't you take Quaffle out onto the balcony and feed Ali and Boo."

"Okay," he agreed, standing from the floor and doing as she asked, disappearing onto the balcony with Quaffle by his side and he closed the door behind him.

"Shouldn't he have a coat?" Fleur commented in concern.

"The balcony's warded against weather, it's the same temperature as it is in here," Oliver answered, his eyes remaining to the trio. "As fer ye three, ye have naw right bein' here. It's not yer home, ye don' own the property, ye don' pay rent an' more importantly, ye weren't invited."

"And I made it perfectly that we didn't want to see you, _any_ of you," Hermione continued.

"Hermione..." Harry began, his voice sounding for the first time since she'd seen him.

"No, Harry," she interrupted firmly. "Don't go there with me. My magic's unstable at the moment."

"What because you're _pregnant_?" Ginny sneered.

"Is that how you trapped Wood in a marriage?" Ron snarled.

Hermione's anger spiked and before she realised she'd done it, she raised her hands and Ron and Ginny were thrown off their feet, their backs slamming against the wall. Mrs. Weasley gasped, Oliver did nothing to hide his smile and the others darted their eyes between Hermione and their siblings in surprise.

"Don't test me you traitorous bastards," Hermione warned coldly.

"Mum..." Leo stepped from the balcony and into the room. "Boo and Ali have been fed and they're sleeping now."

"Thank you, Sweetie," Hermione looked at him over her shoulder, smiling kindly. "Why don't you go and see Thompson?" She suggested. "I think he said something about having a gift for you."

"Okay, I'll go see Uncle Thompson. Is Aunt Katie with him?"

"I think so," she nodded. "Do you remember what floor he's on? The passcode to gain access to the floor?"

"Yeah, he's on the eighteenth floor, and dad told me all the passcodes and I remember them all," he beamed, proud of himself.

"You told him _all_ the passcodes?" Hermione arched a questioning eyebrow, directing it to Oliver.

"Aye, he's gonna inherit this place someday, may as well teach him whilst he's young," he shrugged.

"You know the passcodes?" The twins looked to Leo with a gleam in their eyes.

"Cor, Fred, imagine the pranks we could play on the tenants," George gave a mischievous smile.

"Ah, don't forget Thompson and Katie," Fred added with a smirk.

Turning back to Leo, they said, "Tell us the passcodes o'bestest nephew in the world" they chorused, crouching down to his level and looking up at him pleadingly.

"NO!" Hermione and Oliver yelled when Leo opened his mouth and everyone burst out laughing.

"Leo, don't ever tell anyone the passcodes," Hermione warned and he nodded. "Okay then, off you go. Be careful and remember to knock, it's the polite thing to do."

"I'll be back before bed," he promised, heading for the door and closing it behind him, thankfully not noticing Ron and Ginny pinned to the wall.

Her eyes returned to them, seeing their murderous glares and spying Harry stood off to the side, silently observing.

"I married Oliver in July, our babies were conceived in October, do the math... And you're one to talk, you lost your virginity to the Gryffindor Queen of sluts." Ron's face flushed in embarrassment. "As for you, Ginevra, the things I know about you would put Lavender Brown to shame," she said and Ginny looked at her defiantly.

Ginny gave a look of defiance. "You know nothing about me, you frigid bitch," she hissed.

Hermione smiled sweetly, clasping her hands before her. "I didn't lose my virginity until my wedding night, you, however..." she trailed off.

"What does she mean?" Mrs. Weasley said quickly. "Ginny, what does she mean?" She demanded.

"Nothing, Mum, she's a lying cow."

Hermione snorted. "I'm as honest as they come."

"What did she mean, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley moved to stand beside her, her hands coming up to her hips and her stern gaze darting between them.

"You tell her anything and you'll live to regret it," Ginny threatened.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since you've threatened me, something I find highly terrifying," she rolled her eyes, sighing tiredly. "Did you know that Ginevra lost her virginity when she was _fifteen_ to Blaise Zabini in the broom shed at Hogwarts?"

"WHAT?"

"You told me I was your first," Harry frowned.

Hermione laughed, "Sorry, I couldn't help it; that's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. No, she slept with Zabini, then later tried to convince him she was pregnant so that she could trap him in a marriage like they did in the 1800s and early 1900s, because she was clearly and as Zabini put it, 'desperate to be a high society harpy, and too much of a bitch to find a wizard to marry her willingly.' Of course, she wasn't pregnant as Zabini was careful and cast a Contraception Charm on her before he left her, so that plan backfired. Then she tried to proposition Malfoy but he shot her down. Hard. Then she slept with Dean and then Cormac McLaggen, then there was Michael Corner, and finally, there was someone else before Harry, but I can't remember his name."

"Seriously?" Harry choked out. "Zabini _and_ Malfoy? How d'you know?" Harry asked, looking to Hermione, his expression one of betrayal and upset.

"They told me, we're sort of friends now," she answered, moving to take a seat on the corner suite, her feet killing her. "Now..." She paused when three owls flew into the room through the open balcony door, dropping three letters on the floor before taking their leave.

Hermione shared a look with Oliver.

"Ministry owls."


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 22

**Wood Apartment - Friday 25th December 1998**

"Ye don' think...?"

"I do," Hermione grinned, she and Oliver sharing a snigger.

Frowning in confusion, Harry crouched down and retrieved the letter addressed to him. Opening it and removing the parchment from inside, his eyes scanned the words before him before looking to the second piece of parchment, his eyes darting to Hermione.

"I have to marry Angelina Johnson," Harry said in little above a whisper.

Hermione's head tipped slightly in thought. Angelina was Fred's ex-girlfriend from when they'd been in Hogwarts, and since, she'd visited the shop a couple of times. Hermione hadn't interacted with her much but from the times she had and from what Fred had told her about their relationship, one that was ended mutually, she didn't think the witch to be bad.

Her eyes slowly analysing Harry's reaction and posture, she found herself realising that she no longer felt anger towards him, not in the way she did for Ron and Ginny. After witnessing his behaviour compared against the others, understanding soon sunk in. Harry wasn't like the others. He was quiet and was only confrontational when his anger reached boiling point, something Malfoy was proficient at causing. Of course, it didn't help that a piece of Voldemort's soul had latched onto and had been living inside of him since he was a baby, something that later proved to manipulate his emotions.

Despite that, Harry was loyal and given his lack of social interactions and friends from his life before arriving at Hogwarts, he was easily led and easily manipulated, case and point, Dumbledore. And Hermione wasn't blind. Dumbledore _had_ manipulated Harry and them over the years, something she didn't appreciate, even if it was for the greater good.

Given his loyalty and lack of family, she never in a million years thought he'd pack up and leave them all behind in the middle of the night, with only a note for an explanation. Harry had always been brave, but he'd taken the coward's way out. She'd known Ron and Ginny were capable of manipulation, she'd seen it before.

When she'd met Ginny, she'd been a shy, sweet girl, but ever since she'd been possessed by Riddle's Diary, she'd changed. That was understandable. Riddle had fucked her up in the head, but Ginny could've tried to put it behind her, she could've tried to fight and not give in to the after-effects and she hadn't. She'd let it swallow her whole, she'd let it consume her, twist and mould her into a horrible person. Ginny had no will power. And it was no one's fault but her own. Hermione had tried in the past to reach out to her, but she'd been turned away at every point and so she'd stopped trying. If Ginny was willing to ruin her life, why should Hermione waste her time when she had others that needed her help?

Harry wouldn't have suggested the idea of leaving. Someone else had and he'd been manipulated into following. She knew Ron and Ginny had little funds, which meant Harry had footed the bill for it all. And knowing that, she wouldn't be surprised if they'd taken advantage of him, ensuring they only visited the most well-reviewed and pricey hotels and the like.

"WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Ginny cried, drawing Hermione from her thoughts.

"Not when you can't keep your legs closed," Hermione shrugged. "You have to follow the Marriage Law or you're sent to Azkaban. Besides, Harry could've worse. Angelina isn't so bad and at least you know who she is. Shall we see which poor sods got stuck with you two?"

Lifting her hand, she summoned the two letters from the ground, seeing the trio's eyes widening at the sight of the non-verbal and wandless magic. They'd never understood how powerful she was. She kept Ginny's in her hand and held Ron's out towards Oliver in offering, her husband crossing to her side and taking from her eagerly. Together, they opened the letter, snorts escaping at the names they found on the parchment.

"Who'd they get?" George asked, clapping his hands together excitedly.

"Millicent Bulstroude," answered Oliver, sharing a laugh with the men in the room, Hermione seeing that even Harry's mouth twitched as he fought his own laughter. She almost felt sorry for Ron.

"Ronniekins has to marry the troll of Slytherin," George roared through his laughter with Mrs. Weasley looking at them all disapprovingly.

"Who'd Ginny get?" Bill asked curiously.

"Miles Bletchley," she replied.

It was silent for but a moment before laughter once more filled the room.

"The male troll of Slytherin," Fred gasped out. "He's even worse than Flint!"

"I wonder how Jenny and Flint are doing, they married a few weeks ago," Hermione commented casually with a grin.

"I AM NOT MARRYING A SLYTHERIN!" Ginny screeched, struggling uselessly against the wall but Hermione's magic was secure and unmoving.

"Then you go to Azkaban," Hermione shrugged, unconcerned.

She climbed to her feet with Oliver tugging her into his side and she silently cancelled the binding magic, Ron and Ginny dropping to the ground and being unprepared, they landed on their arses. Taking the parchment from Oliver, she threw it towards the siblings, it fluttering towards the ground.

"Now, get out of my home before I call Kingsley and have you arrested for trespassing and threatening behaviour." When they didn't move, she levitated them towards the fireplace, dropping them none too gently. "Now."

Glaring at her, they climbed to their feet, their eyes darting about the room before they chose to leave. Once the roaring floo quietened after their departure, Harry shuffled on his feet and awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck as everyone's eyes moved to him expectantly.

"I... Er..." He cleared his throat and shifted his glasses on his nose. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop them from coming but they wouldn't listen. I better go and make some sense of this mess."

~000~000~000~

Later that night, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley returned to the Burrow, Mr. and Mrs. Wood the manor, Bill and Fleur Shell Cottage, Percy and Audrey their apartment and the twins and Charlie were staying at Wood apartment. No one wanted to go back to the Burrow where the trio was so they'd decided to stay at the apartment.

Leo, Quaffle, Charlie and the twins were in the media room watching an action film she couldn't remember buying, whilst Hermione and Oliver were in the living room, sitting on the couch with Oliver rubbing Hermione's aching feet as they rested in his lap.

They had been basking in the comfortable silence as sometimes words didn't need to be said, but their peace and quiet was interrupted when the floo roared to life and it was followed by footsteps. Lifting their heads, they saw Harry nervously approaching them.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked timidly.

Hermione scrutinised him before slowly nodding in acquiesce.

"A'll give ye some privacy," said Oliver, his gaze darting between them. "Ye know we cannae leave those lads alone fer tae long."

Leaning forward, he pressed a quick kiss to her mouth before shifting out from beneath her feet and taking his leave.

"How did you get here?" She asked after a few moments of tense, awkward silence.

"Mrs. Weasley."

"What do you want, Harry?" Hermione asked in a tone that gave nothing away as she shifted to make herself comfortable.

"I... I'm sorry, Hermione. I really am. I never should've left you. It was my fault. I didn't want to deal with the press, with the deaths, the after. It was Ginny's idea to go travelling and Ron supported her. They manipulated me into going with them. I see that now."

"A bit too late, don't you think? You left me to deal with _everything_ on my own. If you stayed you would've had me to help you, you would've had my support. Because of you, I couldn't leave the flat without getting ambushed and I had to Glamour myself or the twins had to come with me, acting as bloody bodyguards." His gaze lowered to the floor and he shifted on his feet. She sighed. "But, you've always been easily led. Look at how Dumbledore treated you. I'm not saying he wasn't a good man, I'm saying that sometimes his methods were questionable and even you can't deny that."

He lifted his head and nodded. "You're right, I'm honestly sorry that I hurt you. You were the only person that stood by my side, even when Ron left and I betrayed you. How could I do that to you?" He questioned himself, running his hands through his hair and tugging at the roots in distress.

Hermione sighed. She knew she didn't completely blame Harry so she could forgive him. She was pregnant, to be a mother. She couldn't hold grudges anymore, she didn't have the time or energy.

"I forgive you." His head snapped to hers, his expression morphing from self-loathing to surprise. "I forgive you," she repeated. "But I don't and won't forgive Ron and Ginny and I doubt the others will either. Too much damage has been caused for it to be healed."

He nodded understandingly. "Ron and Ginny are planning to leave again," Harry confessed.

"To get out of the law?" She questioned. He nodded. "They won't ever be able to come back here. If they do, they'll be arrested and sent to Azkaban. Are you going with them?" She asked, trying to keep her tone neutral and uncaring.

"No, I'm staying. I don't want to be away from here for the rest of my life. This is my home and I won't give that up; I've lost too much already. Ron and Ginny weren't happy, said that you had me under a spell and you'd corrupted me." Hermione snorted. "I'm staying. Getting married wasn't what I was expecting on my return, but Angelina isn't that bad from what I remember of her from school. They can leave but I don't know how they'll afford it without me. I promise, Hermione, I won't leave you again."

She wanted to believe him, but only time would tell if he would stick around.

"So, where did you go?" She probed, being quite surprised when he revealed the many places he'd visited and that he'd travelled through the continents and not just remained in Europe.

"I can't believe the life you have now. You look so happy. How'd all of this happen?" Harry asked, looking to the photos on the walls, a little dejected, she noted.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time," he shrugged, moving to take a seat opposite her.

"Very well," she agreed, and so she began from the beginning, starting with the end of the Final Battle and moving through to her time spent living with the twins before the news of the Marriage Law broke and she was matched with Oliver.

"What about the twins and Charlie?" He tipped his head.

"Charlie lives in Romania so he isn't eligible and the twins are exempt. They were furious that I was being made to marry, but they were glad I was paired with Oliver. We met and then decided to date so we might get to know one another and make things less awkward. I moved in two weeks later. When the news of our pairing was leaked to the press, I was attacked by Oliver's fangirls at the shop and when I left, I was offered a job as Puddlemere's Junior Coach."

He burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" She asked testily.

"You, Junior Coach of a professional team. You _hate_ Quidditch."

"Actually, I _love_ Quidditch," she corrected. "The team won the league last year. We played fourteen matches and the Final and we won every match. We were the favourite to win and we did. The team were alright when I started but I whipped them into shape and got rid of their bad habits. Oliver's the Captain of Puddlemere, and actually, I was just promoted to Assistant Coach this morning. Coach Burton owled me with the news and said I more than deserved the promotion and the bosses agreed."

He stared at her in surprise, as if he didn't know who he was looking at. Hermione concluded he didn't. She wasn't the same person she'd been in school, that she'd been before or during the war.

"Anyway, Skeeter wrote a few nasty articles about me, so I had that taken care of eventually. Oliver proposed to me and bought me a ring despite my telling him it wasn't necessary. We fell in love after not even a month of knowing each other, and we decided we wished to marry because we wanted to. We wanted to do it for ourselves, not because we were forced to. He truly is my perfect match and I his. I love him with everything in me. He's generous, kind, caring, loving, humble... I could go on all day. We married the 30th July at the Burrow and had the reception at Wood Manor," her eyes darted to the wall and his followed her gaze.

He saw her smiling widely as the twins walked her down the aisle with equally big grins. He saw Oliver's expression as he stared at her adoringly and he saw them kiss and the shower of gold dust that rained on them. He saw everyone smiling and laughing and dancing at the reception and he saw the fireworks Fred and George had set up.

She looked incredibly happy and beautiful and he couldn't believe he'd missed her wedding.

"I'm sorry I missed your wedding," Harry apologised.

"I sent you an invitation" she admitted, "Nobody knows I did, but the owl brought it back. Obviously, you were moving too quickly for it to catch up with you and the poor thing gave up trying to find you."

He felt so guilty when she wouldn't look at him, her hands pressed against her stomach as she brought her knees closer to her chest.

"Anyway, after the wedding and the end of game season, I took my NEWTs at the Ministry..."

"Results?" He interrupted.

"Twelve O's."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," he chuckled.

"We attended the Celebration Ball after the Final Battle in September and I was officially awarded the Order of Merlin: First Class. Then Oliver and I went on our honeymoon to Hawaii for two weeks. We got back and I went on my book tour and..."

"Book tour? You wrote a book?" His questioned in surprise.

"Seven, about the war," she confirmed. "People needed to know what was sacrificed and who the real heroes were. They needed to know the truth. Of course, I left out the majority of information on the Deathly Hallows and the Horcruxes. My books are being released once a month, so far the first three are out, which covers the first three years of the war. It doesn't really revolve around you, it's all from my point of view so don't look at me like that," she chastised when she noticed his scowl and then he looked at her sheepishly. "Sirius' innocence is now known to the public, they all know who the real murderer was. Anyway, the training season has started again and this year we're playing matches against not only league teams but national teams for charity and practice. We spent two weeks straight travelling and playing matches and we've won every game so far. I found out I was pregnant in Germany."

"You have no idea how happy I was that I could give Oliver a child," she sighed. "I had thought I'd be infertile after everything that happened, but it was a miracle. When we got home, Kingsley was waiting for us. Leo's mother had committed suicide. His father died in the war and his mother was neglecting him because she was depressed. Leo and I became close because he visited the shop every week, he wouldn't speak to anyone but me and now his confidence has improved. When I left the shop, he would come to the stadium and sit in the coach's box. Before her death, Leo's mother had made me and Oliver his legal guardians, so Oliver and I picked him up from the orphanage he'd been placed in. We brought him home and three weeks later, on his birthday, we officially adopted him."

Harry's head was spinning and he reached up, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose and the other rubbing at his temple.

"After that, I began working on a project for the orphanage. I bought and renovated a manor in Wiltshire and with the help of the family and the team, we moved all the children and staff into the manor. They have four times more space and the building is safe for them." She waved her hand and a photo flew over to her before she offered it to Harry.

He took it and stared at the photo, seeing what must have over one hundred children and staff squished together in front of a large white manor that said 'Wood Home' on the sign above, and they were all waving and grinning happily as snow fell around them.

"The home now houses one hundred and seven children, fifteen night staff and ten house-elves. It's a privately run establishment and Oliver and I fund everything. Despite not wanting credit, the press got wind of what I'd done and they found out that we adopted Leo. The home has received many letters from couples wanting to adopt... A few days after that, I visited a sonographer on a whim and discovered I'm having twins, and well... That's everything. That's my life now."

"I'm so sorry I missed all of that. You're a wife, a mum, the Assistant Coach of a successful Quidditch team, an author, an inventor _and_ a philanthropist," he listed. "All in the space of eight months!"

"There's plenty more to come," she replied, rubbing at her stomach fondly.

"I want to be around, in your life when the twins are born," Harry said hopefully.

"I hope you are," she admitted.

And with those words, Harry had a weight lifted off his shoulders. Summoning a copy of the ultrasound scan, she handed it to Harry, seeing his wide smile as he stared down at the twin bean shapes.

"Mum? Dad said it's bedtime. Will you read to me?"

Harry and Hermione lifted their eyes, seeing step into view before he jumped on the couch next to her and Harry watched with a smile.

"How about Uncle Charlie reads to you, tonight?" Hermione suggested, reaching to push his hair back from his face. He needed a haircut. "I know he hasn't started reading the second book yet and he wants to, and he can do the voices. Have you heard him try to do Gran? It's hilarious; it'll have you wetting yourself. Don't even get me started on Professors McGonagall and Flitwick."

"Cool," Leo grinned. "Who's that?" Leo asked nosily, Hermione already knowing he knew who it was.

"Uncle Harry, he's been travelling but he's back now."

Leo stood and shook Harry's hand like he'd been shown to do by his Grandpa Henry. He had different names for his Grandparents so no one got confused. Grandma and Grandpa were the Woods and Gran and Granddad were the Weasleys.

"Nice to meet you, Uncle Harry," Leo greeted.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Leo," Harry smiled, taking the hand he offered and chuckling. "So, you like your mum's books?"

"They're awesome!" He exclaimed. "I've only read the first one, I can't believe you saved her from a troll."

"Seems fair since she's saved me from a lot more in my life, that'll be further on in the books, I assume."

"I can't wait," he grinned. "Night."

"Night," Hermione and Harry replied.

He ran back in the direction he came from. "HEY, UNCLE CHARLIE?" He yelled and not a minute later Leo was dragging an amused Charlie behind him and through the living area towards his bedroom. "Mum's second book is _so_ awesome. We've only gotten to chapter six but there's already been flying cars, a killer tree, house-elves and jinxed bludgers. But we can start from chapter one so you can catch up."

Hermione laughed as Leo never let Charlie get a word in edgeways.

"He seems like a good kid," Harry observed.

"He is," Hermione agreed.

"I forgot, there was something I wanted to ask you. What's with the band on your wrist and why was Fleur adamant we see it?"

Hermione lifted up her sleeve to show him the golden band.

"This happened at our wedding, just after Oliver and I kissed, completing the ceremony. It wasn't until the Sunday after we were told what they meant."

"And?" He pressed.

"Pureblood's are brought up on stories about witches and wizards who were fated to be together, they were each other's perfect match and it only happened once everyone two hundred years. It turns out, the stories are true. Oliver has a band the exact same as you saw earlier. It is known as 'The Golden Bond'. There isn't much to know about it, believe me; I researched it and everything I found I already knew. Basically, Oliver and I were fated to be together, he's my perfect match, my other half. Our magic has connected and it's bound us together for eternity. We'll never want to be with anyone else. If Oliver and I had never met, we would have married other people and lived separate lives, but we would've never been truly happy or complete. Once we died, in the afterlife our magic and souls would search until they found each other and we would be together for eternity after death, finally happy. Finally at peace. That's why Oliver and I were matched. If the law hadn't have been instigated we likely would've never met. It's why we fell in love so quickly, because we were _supposed_ to be together."

"Okay, this is a lot to take in," he breathed out, sinking back into the cushions behind him. "And Uncle Thompson and Aunt Katie? Who're they?" Harry asked randomly.

"Oh, Thompson and Katie Bell... Thompson's our starting Seeker on the team. He was engaged before the law to this horrible woman but after a while of watching Oliver and I together, he realised that he wasn't happy. So I helped him break off his engagement with his disgusting girlfriend who had her claws stuck into him and his Gringotts vault. He moved in here in August until renovations were done on some of the apartments and he moved out at the end of November, two floors down. The Ministry gave him and his ex new partners. She got Marcus Flint," she sniggered, something she did every time it was mentioned and Harry couldn't help joining in, remembering the brute of a wizard for Hogwarts. "And Thompson was matched Katie Bell. Things are going really well and he's happy. Katie moved in with Thompson as his place was three times bigger. They married about a week ago. They wanted to stay for Christmas and they're leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow..." She trailed off, trying to stifle a yawn and failing.

"It's getting late and I'm sure you're exhausted, especially with today's events. I better go," Harry rose to his feet.

"Where are you staying?"

"Well, not at the Burrow in case Ginny tries to hex me or murder me in my sleep and I can't go back to Grimmauld. So, the Leaky Cauldron, I suppose," he shrugged.

"And have the press get wind that you're back?" She shook her head. "You can stay here, the twins can share a room and you can stay as long as you need to."

"I..."

"Shut up."

"I suppose your right, wouldn't want Skeeter getting her quick quote quill out, would we?" He joked, blinking in surprise when Hermione smirked. It was a look he'd never seen on her face before and he realised she'd picked it up from the twins. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing. Just... You don't have to worry about Skeeter anymore, that's all," she said innocently.

"Why?" He asked slowly.

"Because, Potter," began George as he, Fred and Oliver approached. "Mia terrorised her for over a month."

"Yeah, sent her three joke products a day, she did. Some from the shop and some she invented and that needed testing before we could launch them to the public," continued Fred proudly.

"My favourite was the Love Potion laced and charmed bottle of elf wine," George sighed, plopping onto the couch beside her and slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Damn ingenious, it was."

"Nah, my favourite's the charmed seat cushion that sends an electric shock up the arse every time you sit down," Fred sniggered.

"Naw way, mine's definitely the Moodskin Potion. She looked like something aff one af those muggle cartoons with a red face an' smoke coming oot af her ears," Oliver added and they all laughed as Harry stared dumbly. "She's in Azkaban now," he shrugged.

"Well, I'm exhausted," Hermione yawned.

"Let's head tae bed then, we're seeing Thompson aff in the morning an' he won't let us fergot it if we miss them."

Oliver reached out, helping her to her feet.

"Boys, you'll have to share," Hermione told them and they nodded, looking unsurprised and unbothered. "Harry, you can take the room opposite the bathroom, down there," she gestured to the corridor of her meaning before Oliver tugged her to their bedroom.

"Yer've fergiven him then?" Oliver said, as he and Hermione changed out of their day clothes and into their pyjamas.

"Yes," she sighed. "Rule twenty-two."

"Give a second chance, but never a third or fourth," Oliver recited.

"Harry was manipulated into leaving. I'm not saying that he's not to blame, but Ginny and Ron did a number on him. He's apologised a million times and he said he's staying, he's going to marry Angelina as the law said and without a fuss. He admitted that Ron and Ginny are going to make a break for it, but I don't know how they'll do it without Harry's money. I expect them to be gone by Sunday. I said Harry could stay here. Grimmauld's not liveable at the moment, he can't stay at the Burrow with Ron and Ginny being there, and I'm not letting him stay at the Leaky Cauldron."

Oliver observed her carefully as she climbed into bed and snuggled beneath the covers. Harry Potter was her weakness, her Kryptonite –whatever that was, it was a reference he still didn't understand but the twins had been adamant it was correct for this particular situation-, the twins had told him. He'd been preparing for the return of the trio and despite that, he'd still been taken by surprise, he still hadn't known how to react or protect Hermione from all of the feelings that resurfaced.

And knowing what he did about her weakness and Hermione's tendency to be a mother hen, (something that had only gotten worse now that she was pregnant) he wasn't surprised to learn that she'd allowed him to stay at the apartment, nor was he surprised she'd forgiven him.

Looking at her as she looked to him in question, wondering why he hadn't yet climbed into bed, he saw something inside of her. Something that hadn't been there before. A happiness that was associated with Harry Potter. She was hurt he'd left but she was happy he was back and that he'd apologised.

Seeing this, he decided not to push the matter and he climbed into bed, his wife snuggling against him as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He was happy she had her friend back, but if he broke her heart again, he'd have Kings and Wilks smack bludgers at him. And they'd be happy to do so. Anyone who hurt Hermione had to deal with the whole team. Coach Burton included, and the man was downright terrifying when Hermione was involved. His reaction to what'd had happened with Krum the day he'd taken the day off due to a family emergency... Well, he'd rewarded the team by allowing them to finish training an hour early for them defending Hermione's honour, (and whacking Krum in the face. _Twice_.) but that day he'd been in a frightening mood and several staff members swore they'd heard the sounds of furniture being broken when they passed his office during their lunch break.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment – Wednesday 13th January 1999**

The morning of Oliver's twenty-third birthday brought him a very special wakeup call from Hermione, one he wouldn't object to having every morning. When they pulled themselves from bed, showered and readied for the day, the headed for the kitchen, Hermione making a start on breakfast.

As Hermione prepared to plate everything up and later move to wake Leo for the day, he made an appearance, dressed in his pyjamas and with bed hair that would put Hermione's to shame.

"Happy birthday, Dad," Leo grinned, shoving a giant present in front of him, wrapped haphazardly and with a bow falling off.

Laughing, Oliver removed the wrapping paper, revealing newly brought Quidditch gloves, pads and boots. Oliver thanked and ruffled Leo's hair, and once breakfast had been eaten and Leo was sent to wash and dress, Hermione took Oliver's hand in hers and pulled him over to the fish tank. His brow furrowed before he crouched down, seeing that yes, he hadn't been imagining things. There was definitely more than there had been the night before. By his count, there was now a total of twenty-seven fish.

"Ye got mae more fish?" He questioned in surprise.

"Hmmm, freshwater fish that are safe to live with goldfish," she nodded. "You have six fancy tail goldfish, they're the ones with the golf balls for eyes." He laughed at her. "There's three black and three silver. Then there are six zebra danios, they are the ones with the stripes and there are three silver and three gold. Then there are six white cloud mountain minnows and they are the silver ones. And finally, we have six rose barbs; they're the red and pink ones. Oh, there's also a few water snails in there because they help to keep the tank clean."

"A love it, thank ye," he beamed, rising to full height and pressing a kiss to her mouth in thanks.

"Not done yet," she told him, summoning a second gift from where she'd hidden it in her library.

Handing him the perfectly wrapped box, he eyed her curiously before removing the wrapping paper and the lid, revealing a shrunken down broom. Lifting it from the box and drawing his wand to resize it, he blinked in awed-surprise. It was a Whipping Gold. A broom that was specifically designed for Keepers. A broom that wasn't due to be released for twelve months.

"That is the _first_ broom that was produced. It's been through all the trials and passed with flying colours. You literally have the very first completed Whipping Gold in the world."

Hermione thought he was going to faint.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Friday 22nd January 1999**

It had been a month since Harry had returned to wizarding society, and he was slowly regaining everyone's trust and she quite impressed with how he was handling things, if she was honest. As she'd predicted, Ron and Ginny had fled the Sunday after Christmas and no one had heard from them or seen them, and whilst no one else seemed to care or be bothered, she knew it had broken Mrs. Weasley's heart for a second time. And honestly, Hermione wasn't sure what they'd planned on doing or where they planned on going without Harry's money, so she wouldn't be surprised if they were laying low somewhere in England.

Harry had been living with them for a month, he'd met with Angelina and they'd set a date for their wedding, 20th March. Preparations were already underway with Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Johnson corresponding and planning the wedding and reception together, sharing the workload. With Harry soon to be married, she and Oliver had offered up one of the apartments that had yet to leased, and he'd jumped at the opportunity, quickly signing the tenancy agreement and he would be moving out the following Monday to the floor below them.

The press had gotten wind that he was back and Harry and Hermione held a press conference to clear up the rumours and to get them off their backs, something that had only helped marginally and they had to wear Glamours when they wished to go out in public.

Harry had yet to decide what he wanted to do with his life. Working for the Ministry as an Auror out of the question for him and Hermione need him to explain why; she understood perfectly.

They were currently in the library with Oliver reading her third book to Leo and they'd just passed the part where Pettigrew was revealed to be Scabbers.

"I think I've got it," Hermione said aloud, looking up from her own book.

"Got what?" Oliver asked.

"The Falmouth Falcons are holding tryouts."

"Professional Quidditch?" Harry tipped his head.

"Yes, why not?" She challenged. "The only time I've truly seen you at peace is when you're flying. And because you'll be on a different team, we'll have some rivalry between us," she grinned and Harry chuckled at her.

"She's right," Oliver agreed. "A imagine yer've only developed yer skills since yer third year an' ye were the best Seeker a'd ever seen back then. The Falcon's could use ye; they're a decent team but their Seekers are rubbish; they're always getting injured, more so than any other team."

"Exactly," Hermione nodded. "I'll be right back," she told them, snapping her book shut and leaving the library, returning turning minutes later with a pleased smile. "I've floo'd the Falcon's coach. You have a tryout tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

Harry frowned. "They likely only gave me a tryout because of my name," he grumbled.

"No, I didn't tell them your name, only that I knew of an extremely talented and young Seeker that they might benefit from having on their team."

"They didn't question you?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I'm the youngest Assistant Coach in the history of Quidditch, I helped Puddlemere win the League after two months of training _and_ we've won every match we've played so far. They trust my judgement. If it bothers you, don't go," she shrugged.

"I'll go," he conceded. "Might as well see what happens and it gives me something to do in the morning than sitting around twiddling my thumbs."

Hermione smiled knowingly, retaking her seek and smoothing her hand over her stomach. She was now thirteen weeks pregnant and she'd begun to show, quite quickly actually. One moment there was nothing and the next her stomach swelling, making room for the developing twins in her womb. She'd already snuck off to Muggle London and purchased maternity clothes so she might be prepared, and with her growing stomach brought Oliver's hands and his constant need to be touching her. She'd thought he'd been bad when he'd discovered the news of her pregnancy but no, she hadn't been prepared for him now.

Luckily, the news hadn't yet been revealed or leaked to the press or anyone they didn't wish to know, no one had noticed her growing stomach as she was sure to cover it and the best news yet, her morning sickness had shoved off back to hell and she no longer had to take the Anti-Nausea Potions.

"It won't be long before they find out," Hermione commented absentmindedly.

"An' when they do, they'll not get anywhere near ye," Oliver promised, his protective gaze darting to her stomach.

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment - Saturday 23rd January 1999**

"I GOT IT! I GOT ON THE TEAM" Harry barrelled into the library excitedly, almost tripping over his own feet, only just managing to catch himself on the back of the armchair.

"I know," Hermione said unsurprised. "With a natural talent like yours that can only get better with some professional training, they weren't going to say no," she shrugged. "They'd be idiots not to take you, and if they hadn't, I'd have found a way to make you a part of Puddlemere, the bosses wouldn't object even if we don' have any positions open right now."

"Yer one af the best Seekers a've seen," Oliver added. "What position?"

"Well, the starting Seeker retired, so the next in line is obviously the reserve Seeker, that's what the tryout was for. But... When they saw me, they decided to make me the _starting_ Seeker, instead. The reserve Seeker didn't even complain, he admitted that he was nowhere on the same skill level as me, he wouldn't even dare to attempt the Wronski Feint, so he said there were no hard feelings. They were shocked when _I_ turned up, of course, but even more so with my flying."

Hermione smiled. "When do you start?"

"Wednesday," he beamed. "I can't believe it. I'm a professional athlete! Let's celebrate!"

"Pregnant," Hermione pointed to her stomach.

"I'm too young," Leo piped up, sprawled on the ground by the fireplace and cuddled with Quaffle.

"An' a promised a pact af sobriety fer the remainder af Hermione's pregnancy. She cannae drink so am not gonna either."

"That's stupid," Harry snorted, his face paling when Hermione glared at him. "I mean, very noble of you," he corrected, clearing his throat whilst Leo giggled and Oliver smirked knowingly. "Fine," he sighed, "Juice and monopoly it is."

"You could go out, you know?" Suggested Hermione.

"No, thanks, without you there to protect me, I wouldn't make it through the night... And, no, I'm not going out with Fred and George. Merlin knows what'd happen to me," he shivered. "I'll grab the drinks, you set the game up."

~000~000~000~

**St. Mungo's - Thursday 4th February 1999**

The Weasleys, Woods and Harry were all gathered in St. Mungo's waiting room, Fleur having gone into labour six hours ago. Given the late hour, some had fallen asleep in their chairs, Leo was sprawled across the transfigured lounge chair as he slept, and Hermione sat in Oliver's lap with his hands smoothing over her stomach.

"Jus' think," Oliver began, "It'll be us in tha' room in a few months."

"Oh, don't, you'll set me off again," Mrs. Weasley sniffled as she wiped at her eyes. She was already overcome with emotion and being reminded that her twin Grandchildren would be born in a few months time was the trigger for more tears being released.

They all startled -some of them awake and George actually slipped off his chair and onto the ground- when the doors burst open and Bill stepped inside, his long hair tied back, his face flushed and tears welling in his eyes.

"Would you like to meet her?"

It was one of the most stupid questions Hermione had ever heard. Of course, she wanted to meet her niece! And she all but barged her way past him, Mrs. Weasley quickly following on her heels.

Reaching the delivery room, Fleur could be seen on the hospital bed with her newborn daughter swaddled in a pink blanket and being held against her as she stared down at her adoringly. Despite the fact she'd just given birth and her hair was sweat-soaked and stuck to her neck and she was obviously exhausted, Fleur still looked beautiful, Hermione putting it down to the veela blood that ran through her veins.

At their arrival, she reluctantly lifted her gaze to them, offering a tired smile.

"I would like to introduce you to Victorie Hermione Weasley," Fleur said.

Hermione stared in surprise before she promptly burst into tears, Oliver chuckling and allowing his wife to cling to him and cover his shirt in tears and snot. Once the Grandparents had held the newborn, Hermione had all but wrestled her from them, staring down at her niece and she was beautiful. The perfect blend of her parents; she had her mother's blonde hair and her father's hazel brown eyes, Fleur's nose and mouth shape, but she had Bill's freckles and pale complexion.

"She's beautiful," Hermione remarked, completely mesmerised by the little beauty in her arms. And she couldn't wait for the day her own babies were there.

~000~000~000~

**Bulgaria - Monday 22nd February 1999**

The time had come for Puddlemere to play against the Vrasta Vultures. With Hermione now being seventeen weeks pregnant, it was no longer safe for her to travel by port-key and apparition, so she and Oliver had floo'd to the hotel the night before everyone else as a precaution, not willing to risk her health or the twins'.

With her stomach being larger than ever, it growing more difficult to cover it and she was soon expecting the world to catch on to her secret. In fact, she was amazed it had been kept quiet for so long, if she was honest.

Wishing to be comfortable and with a winter chill still in the air, that day she'd opted to wear white converse, grey tracksuit bottoms and the matching overly large hoody, the Puddlemere logo sitting above her right breast and 'Wood, 32' scrawled across her back. Given the low temperatures in Bulgaria, Leo was visiting Charlie in Romania for a few days whilst the twins were caring for Quaffle, Ali and Boo until they returned.

Hermione was both nervous and excited about the match. She was nervous that the team -but mainly Oliver and Thompson- would cause trouble with Viktor, but she was excited because she knew the team was just as good as the Vultures, and Thompson was just as good as Viktor.

They were currently gathered in the opposing team's locker room at the Vultures stadium, and with the ending of Coach Burton's passive-aggressive speech, everyone looked to her in expectance of a more encouraging pep talk.

"The last time we saw Viktor he was punched in the face _twice_ and thrown off the grounds," she began, laughing when cheering rang out and Oliver and Thompson were slapped on the shoulder as they stood taller in pride. "Viktor holds grudges and I have a feeling the Vultures will be playing dirty, so I want you to be on the lookout; they will be sneaky about it so the referee won't notice. Do not sink to their level. We are going to beat them fair and square. Remember everything that we've done over the last year, alone. Remember all of your accomplishments. Since the start of the training season, we've played thirteen matches and we've won _thirteen_ matches. Last year, we won all _fourteen_ matches including the Final." Cheers rang out once more. "The Vultures didn't win the World Cup and this season, they've played ten matches and have only won _eight_ of them. Our average is better than theirs. I don't want you to go onto that pitch and doubt yourselves, you are just as good as they are, better in my opinion but I'm biased," she admitted and they laughed her. "I believe you can do it, you need to believe that you can do it. Don't be cocky pricks but be confident in your abilities. So, let's go and show them why we won the League."

The team cheered loudly, clapping each other on the shoulder and berating each other whilst making bets about who could make the most goals and who could knock the most players off their brooms, something Hermione had come to understand was part of their pre-match ritual.

As they made their way towards the pitch, she lagged behind so she might walk beside an agitated Thompson.

"You feeling okay?"

"Just nervous," he admitted. "I'm going up against Viktor Blood Krum!" His voice rose in panic.

She snorted. "You broke his nose," she reminded him, seeing a smile tug at his mouth. "You can do this, Thompson. You've been practising exceptionally hard and I'm proud of you. You've perfected the Wronski Feint, and now it's time to bring it into play. We've refrained from using it because we didn't want word getting to Viktor. And just imagine we're back in our stadium playing catch the levitated golf ball. Imagine the look on Viktor's face when you catch the snitch right in front of his nose. Not only will you have beaten who is referred to as 'the Greatest Seeker in the World', you'll prove to the world that you are a force to be reckoned with... And just think of happy Katie will be."

"Hermione!" He cried, scandalised, understanding her meaning.

"What? It's not my fault," she said innocently. "You win this match, and the moment you get home, she'll be jumping your bones."

"Hermione!" He cried once more, his cheeks actually tinting pink.

"What?" Her eyes widened, showing doe-like innocence. "How do you think I got pregnant? Whilst it wasn't because I jumped Oliver after winning a match, given the twins were conceived during our rest period, it certainly didn't and doesn't stop me."

"Hermione!"

"She's your wife, you have sex, just like Oliver and I do."

"Please stop!"

"My, how the tables have turned," she grinned. "It used to be me that blushed like a schoolgirl being winked at by their crush... Look at your cheeks," she teased.

"Merlin, help me," he whispered, mortified.

"Imagine, Thompson, you win this match and Katie will be incredibly pleased, you know she hates Krum, too, right? I don't know if she ever told you, but he hit on her whilst he was still with me, and the loyal Gryffindor that she is, told him to shove his celebrity status and his affections up his arse before she told me what he'd done. She's actually the reason I found out about him cheating," she shrugged, seeing Thompson blink in surprise at the reveal. "So, as I was saying, you win this match and beat Viktor, not only will Katie jump you, but you might conceive a baby, too," she patted her own stomach.

"Hermione!"

"What? It's a requirement of the law. One I don't agree with, obviously, but you have to admit, it is rather fun."

"What happened to you? You used to be so sweet and innocent, you used to get embarrassed and flushed."

"Oliver knocked me up and I found all of my insecurities and shame go flying out at the window. I like it," she grinned. "So, you might make a baby if you win this match."

"Merlin," he grumbled. "I'm not ready to be a dad, no matter what the law requires."

"And you think Oliver and I are?" She arched an eyebrow. "I'm still a teenager and Oliver's still in his early-twenties, we're the youngest on the team. By adopting Leo, we've skipped the whole newborn, toddler _and_ terrible twos stage. Instead, we've gotten an adorable, incredibly polite and well-behaved young boy, one that will be off to Hogwarts in a couple of years. I'm terrified, so is Oliver, but we're not alone. We've got help and we have people that care about us to help support us. So, to recap, if you win this match, your wife will jump your bones and perhaps a baby might be conceived... _And_ , I'll give you my digestive biscuits," she added. He looked to her before snorting and shaking his head.

"I'm being serious. The twins are doing a number on me. I'm hoarding them like a damn squirrel. I'm devouring them like a dementor does souls!" He laughed. "I've got _five_ packets in my bag and another _twenty_ in my suitcase," she exclaimed. He laughed louder. "You think I'm joking? Look!"

Opening her beaded bag, she drew her wand and summoned her digestive biscuits, not five, but _nine_ packets gently bobbing in the air.

He halted mid-walk, doubling over on himself with laughter after seeing her surprised, horrified but pleased expression upon the reveal she had more biscuits than she'd realised.

Releasing a deep sigh, he straightened his posture and took a calming breath.

"Alright, I'll make sure we win this match, for the team and for the Puddlemere twins," he patted her stomach before jogging to catch up with the rest of the team.

~000~000~00~

The match had been going for four hours and currently, Puddlemere was in the lead, 350 – 200 points. The entire team was playing at their best, better than they had in the Final the previous year, but Hermione knew why. They had a score to settle with Krum, this was personal for them after witnessing his treatment of her. They'd always been protective of her, with her being the only female on the team and she was the youngest, but like Oliver, they'd gotten worse upon the discovery of her pregnancy.

The snitch had been spotted several times but had yet to be caught, it disappearing from sight before either Viktor or Thompson had the opportunity to reach for it. As another hour and a half passed, Hermione knew Thompson was becoming frustrated and when he did that, it affected his mindset which in turn, affected his performance.

When Hermione had asked Coach Burton to call a time out, he didn't question her and simply did it. When the team arrived in the coach's box, allowing them to grab a quick drink and to rub the feeling back into their numb hands and fingers, she pulled Thompson aside.

"You're getting frustrated and that'll be your downfall. I know you want to win, but not at the cost of your mental state... Forget about Viktor, forget about the match. It's just a regular day at the stadium. Malloy running off his mouth and me hexing him, Kings using Bishop as target practice, me threatening to slap Oliver if he gets hit with another bludger and Pallie falling down the stands," she said, seeing Thompson's tense form relaxing, a smile tugging at his mouth and a snort falling from him. "Okay, don't allow this to get to you. You love Quidditch so have fun with it. And remember, digestive biscuits are on the line here... You know how series a prize that is." He laughed, shaking his head. "Better?"

"Better," he nodded. "A Wronski Feint coming up, followed by the winning snitch."

Once the team were back in the air, it was evident her talk with Thompson had done some good, seeing he change in his flying technique, in the ease of his body and the effortlessness of his flying.

He lazily circled from above, almost seeming to be in a daze before he unexpectedly became a blur as he darted across the pitch, being following by Viktor who was hot on his tail. Hermione's hands gripped the railing tightly and a smile pulled at her mouth when Thompson suddenly took a dive, not only dodging a bludger, but forcing Viktor to follow.

At little above twenty feet above the ground, he pulled into a sharp turn, heading skywards and speeding off in the opposite direction, Viktor barely managing to pull up in time with the crowd and commentator going wild.

"DID YOU SEE THAT? NOW THAT IS HOW THE WRONSKI FEINT IS DONE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THEY SHOULD RENAME IT THE THOMPSON FEINT AFTER THAT MAGNIFICENT MANOEUVRE! WE'RE LOVING THE NEW SPIN HE PUT ON A CLASSIC SEEKER MOVE! COMPLETELY BRILLIANT! YOU'RE MY NEW HERO THOMPSON!"

Hermione couldn't help laughing and cheering along with an incredibly impressed Coach Burton as he dropped his clipboard to the ground and yelled encouragements. But that was when she noticed that Thompson had flown to the opposite side of the pitch for a reason. Before Viktor could even follow him, Thompson caught the snitch, his fingers curling around the golden ball before it could escape.

"AND THOMPSON'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH! PUDDLEMERE WIN 550 – 320! LOOK AT THE GAP IN THE SCORES! LOOK'S LIKE KRUM NEEDS TO WATCH HIS BACK, THERE'S A NEW SEEKER IN TOWN AND HE MAY JUST TAKE THE TITLE AS 'THE WORLD'S GREATEST SEEKER'! CONGRATULATIONS PUDDLEMERE, COMMISERATIONS VULTURES!"

As Hermione and Coach Burton cheered and laughed, there was a victory lap and a quick reluctant shake of hands before the team flew down to the coach's box. Hermione hugged Thompson tightly, exclaiming how proud she was of him and he pulled back grinning, smugly holding out the snitch in the palm of his hand.

"I'm going to have this framed and set in the trophy cabinet," she told them.

"One snitch for the Puddlemere twins as promised," he beamed.

The entire team had taken to calling the babies that and when she'd pointed it out, they'd exclaimed that they were going to be Uncles and they had a duty to the twins to give them a nickname and make them a part of the team.

At that point, Hermione burst into tears and they all laughed as Oliver was dragged into a hug that had him turning purple with a lack of oxygen. Hermione knew that her children were the luckiest in the world. They had a mother and father that loved them more than anything in the world. They had Grandparents that would spoil them, Uncles and Aunts that would dote on them and an entire Quidditch team that would love them like family.

After she was pried from Oliver and his oxygen flow returned, the victory interview was conducted and they returned to their designated locker room. After taking their showers, most of them were still wandering around shirtless with damp hair as they replayed their highlights from the match, but the moment silence filled the room, she twisted to look behind her, scowling at the sight of Viktor and his teammates having entered the room, all still clad in their game attire.

Oliver's movements were quick and silent as he moved to stand closer to her, being mimicked by his teammates. Being pregnant had its advantages.

"Sparrow, would ye like mae tae take care af this?" Oliver asked, his tone of voice evident that he hoped she'd say yes.

"No, I've got this, thank you," Hermione said calmly.

Viktor's eyes slowly scanned the unhappy expressions of those in the room, before he spied the sparrow tattoo on Oliver's chest, and given how he'd referred to Hermione, Viktor laughed.

"She's had you branded," he commented, his teammates laughing behind him.

Oliver was unphased and unembarrassed, as a smirk tugged at his mouth. "Well, it only seems fair as a branded her. Me autograph was written across her boobs..." Hermione fought the urge to smack him and his teammates either sighed, chuckled or grimaced, remembering that day in the locker room. "And 'it's me name she took, me jersey she's wearing under her jumper an' me name she's got on her back."

Viktor's laughter had stopped, giving Oliver an unimpressed glance and as he took a step forward, Oliver took a step closer to Hermione, her hand automatically moving to lay protectively against her stomach with Oliver's following. Seeing this, Viktor's eyes followed, understanding seeming to sink in and a smirk set on his mouth.

"Oh, just piss off, Viktor," Hermione said irritably, eyes widening in surprise at her use of language.

"I see it didn't take long vor you to get knocked up," he commented with a look in his eye she didn't like.

"Listen up you," Hermione stepped forward, glaring up at him no matter of the height difference. "First of all, it was a requirement of the law that I get pregnant within one year. Second of all, I thought that I was infertile after everything my body suffered through, and finding out I was pregnant was the best news I'd ever received. And lastly, I was a virgin when I married Oliver, which means I've only been with one man and I will for the rest of my life. I know for a fact that you've been with more men than I have." Eyes widened at the reveal and mouths dropped open as Viktor glared at her. "Oh, don't act as though that's a secret, you've been pictured with men before," she snapped. "You're bisexual, no one cares; they're more concerned with their damn blood status... We won fair and square, get over it and move on. Thompson was on point and he did 'your signature' move better than you, something you fell for given that it allowed him to catch the snitch. Even if you were the one to catch the snitch, we still would've won by eighty points. Drop it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted and I need some rest."

With her head held high, she barged past him and his teammates, forcing them to part for her so she might leave. Seeing this, the team burst into sniggers and Viktor stepped forward, his glare on Oliver.

"A wouldn't do tha' if a were ye," Oliver warned, "Not unless ye want tae be reacquainted with the floor, tha' is," he smirked.

"Or a broken nose," Thompson added, his features set hard, daring him to challenge him.

"She vill not stand vor it," Viktor sniffed.

The entire team snorted and even Coach Burton shook his head in amusement.

"She's pregnant with _me_ children, her hormones are all over the place. An' ye do realise tha' she wisnae mad at mae fer hitting ye, right? It was all an act."

"It's true," Pallie confirmed. "We've seen her raging mad, hair sparking with magic, face flushed red, hands clenched... She was far from mad with Wood. It was a cover up."

"In fact, she was _pleased_ tha' a defended her," Oliver gloated. "Ye lost an' a won. Am the one she loves. Am the one she cuddles up tae at night. Am the one she goes tae when she's upset. Am the one tha' makes her smile an' laugh. Am the one tha' supports her in ev'rything she does. An' am the one she shares The Golden Bond with. Leave her alone, Krum. Am not saying tha' she cannae defend herself 'coz ev'ryone knows she can, but she does have an _entire_ Quidditch team an' family tha' will do anything tae defend an' protect her."

It was that point which Hermione waltzed into the room, lobbing a packet of digestive biscuits at Thompson.

"As I promised, your prize."

~000~000~000~

**Muggle London - Monday 29th March 1999**

Hermione was now twenty-two weeks pregnant and the news had been leaked after the Vrasta Vultures match, being completely unsurprised and already knowing who was responsible, but she honestly couldn't find it in herself to care.

As predicted, the press had flocked to them, wanting photoshoots, interviews and articles. As a result and to quell all rumours, Hermione and Oliver agreed to answer a few questions -when she was due, how far along she was, how they were feeling- and then they asked the press to leave them alone as the stress wasn't good for Hermione or the child and surprisingly they backed off. But they'd been sure to remain quiet about the fact she was expected twins, not wanting anyone to know yet.

She'd already attended her latest appointment at St. Mungo's and the records had been updated to say that she was having twins and they were perfectly healthy and on track developmentally.

With that out of the way, Hermione wished to visit the muggle doctor's surgery again so they might get an updated ultrasound scan, and Oliver had wished to attend this time as well. So, during their lunch break, they'd left the stadium and headed into Muggle London.

When they stepped through the doors and approached the desk, Hermione saw the same man from before and she was witness to the smile that slipped from his face, his eyes darting to her husband in surprise.

Yes, he was quite handsome, wasn't he? Hermione thought.

Having already booked an appointment, they simply had to check-in and wait to be called and thankfully, it wasn't too long a wait. They were on a bit of a time crunch after all, not that Coach Burton would penalise them, that is. But still, it was always polite to return by the time they said they would.

When Oliver was introduced to Tully, Hermione hadn't been able to hold back her glare at the sight of the older woman taking in her handsome husband appreciatorily, but the moment she caught sight of Hermione's expression, she'd cleared her throat and promptly put her attention elsewhere. Chuckling, Oliver pressed a kiss to her temple and took her hand in his, hoping to help calm her. Not only was she hormonal, but the full moon was in two days and it wouldn't do good to have her losing control of her magic or hexing a muggle.

One Tully began the scan, Oliver's eyes were glued to the screen, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of the twins growing in Hermione's womb.

"At this point, the twins are approximately twenty-six centre meters in size. Their hair is beginning to grow and they are developing their senses of sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. Their eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails should have also developed by this stage," Tully explained, printing out a copy of the ultrasound, showing the larger, more developed twins. "You have reached the stage in your pregnancy that we might possibly be able to identify the sex of the twins, if they are cooperating. Would you like to try?"

"Naw, we want it tae be a surprise," Oliver answered, pressing a kiss to Hermione's smiling cheek. "Although, anno they're gonna be boys."

"They could be girls," Hermione argued.

"Me family has only had..."

"Boys in your family for as long as you can remember and that is recorded on your family tree. Yes, I know, I've only heard this argue three times a week, after all. But they've also only had _one_ child per generation, we're having _twins_. I think we're an exception... Anyway, she be going, we can invite everyone for dinner. Harry and Angelina don't leave for their honeymoon until the morning."

Harry and Angelina had married nine days ago, they'd had a simple ceremony with the Weasleys, Woods, Jonhsons, their friends from Hogwarts and a few professors, the Puddlemere team and the Falmouth Falcons and their partners in attendance, and Kingsley had officiated the ceremony, too.

From what Hermione knew, things between Harry and Angelina had been going great. They got along rather well, they'd both admitted to having feelings for each other but not being quite ready to call it love yet, but Hermione suspected it wouldn't be long before they did, giving the way they looked at each other, and their wedding had gone off without a hitch. Not unlike hers which had been ambushed by Oliver's crazed fan.

Leaving the doctor's surgery and making their way towards the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione suddenly paused in the middle of the street.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, looking to her in concern.

She looked up at him with her eyes wide, mouth open and her hand pressed against her stomach.

"The twins are kicking," she admitted.

"Really?" He checked, reaching out to set his own hand against her stomach when she nodded.

"You won't be able to feel it; I'm not that far along yet."

"Doesn't matter, they're still kicking."

"I love you," she said suddenly, her eyes watering as she sniffled.

"A love ye, tae, Sparrow."

"I love you, Mum, Dad," Leo added.

Hermione and Oliver laughed. "We love you, too," they chorused, smiling down at Leo when he hugged them both around the waist and grinned up at him.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 15

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Wednesday 5th May 1999**

Hermione was now twenty-eight weeks pregnant and her stomach had grown in size considerably. Currently, she was at the stadium, enjoying her lunch break as she tucked into her sandwich, comfortably perched on the chair that had been brought from her office by Thompson.

As she finished chewing the food in her mouth, she raised her sandwich with the intention of taking another bite when she paused, her sandwich dropping to the paper plate in her hand and she rose to her feet as quickly as she was able.

"What is it?" Pallie asked quickly, his concern mirrored by the others.

It always touched her how much they cared for her and the babies, even if they were annoying and overly protective on occasion. They often scolded her and gave her disapproving expressions if she was on her feet for more than an hour, or if they believed she was starving herself when she skipped lunch, no matter how much she explained she wasn't hungry because she'd been picking at food all morning in her office.

Not answering his question, Hermione reached out for Oliver's hand, slipping it under her t-shirt and pressing it against her stomach, a confused expression marring his feature before he felt it. A strong thump against his hand. His eyes widening and staring at her stomach in awe, he felt it again.

"What is it?" Pallie repeated.

Oliver laughed. "The twins are kicking," he exclaimed joyfully.

"WHAT?!" Was chorused, being followed by barging and shoving as they all scrambled over to her. Oliver was pushed aside and one by one, each member of the team took turns feeling the babies kicking, Oliver struggling between annoyance and amusement.

~000~000~000~

**Puddlemere United Stadium – Saturday 17th July 1999**

The game season was underway and they were playing the fifth match of the season against Lancashire. They had won their previous matches, keeping their record intact and they held the record for most games won consecutively, something the bosses were ecstatic with, promising a big bonus if they kept it up.

They were ahead by only ten points when Thompson was on the chase, racing after the snitch with the other team's Seeker by his side... And then the crowd erupted into cheers as his fingers closed around the little winged golden ball, winning them the match.

As the team did their victory laps, waving to the audience, she, Leo and Coach Burton celebrated in the coach's box, and when Quaffle's barking grew more insistent, they turned to him.

"What's up with him?" Coach asked.

"I don't..." Hermione trailed off, her eyes opening wide.

"What's wrong?"

"My water just broke," she whispered, her eyes lowering to the ground, seeing the puddle on the floor and her partially wet shoes.

When a pain spiked through her unexpectedly, she cried out and almost fell to her knees, Coach Burton leaping into action and helping to support her weight and keep her upright. As Leo hovered by in concern and fear, Coach Burton drew his wand, muttering a _Periculum_ , sending red sparks into the air. In response, the referee of the match approached, hovering by the railing.

"Her waters have broken, we need a Healer now," Coach Burton explained quickly, the referee's eyes widening in surprise before he nodded furiously, flying away towards the commentator's box so one might be called.

"A HEALER IS NEEDED IN PUDDLEMERE'S COACH BOX; JUNIOR COACH HERMIONE WOOD'S WATERS HAVE BROKEN! I REPEAT, A HEALER IS NEEDED URGENTLY! JUNIOR COACH HERMIONE WOOD'S WATERS HAVE BROKEN! OLIVER WOOD, YOU'RE GOING TO BE A FATHER INCREDIBLY SOON. HOW'S THAT FOR CELEBRATING A VICTORY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN?"

The cheering and boos of the audience quickly fell silent, eyes darting towards the coach's box despite nothing being able to be seen.

Oliver felt himself freezing, his grip tightening on his broom, the breath being knocked from him, barely registering when his teammates surrounded him.

"Wood, move it!" Snapped Thompson, reaching out to smack him upside the back of the head. "She needs you!"

Being brought back to reality, his teammates parted for him, creating a pathway so he might fly down to the coach's box without obstacle. When he reached it, he threw himself from his broom before he'd even properly slowed to a stop or lowered to the ground, his broom clattering against the ground forgotten as he rushed to Hermione, coming up on her other side and helping to support her. His heart pounded in his chest, his blood rushing to his head and thumping in his ears, his vision blurring and his mouth doing dry as he watched Hermione's pained expression, a cry falling from her lips.

"Yer timing is impeccable, Sparrow," commented Oliver.

She gave a breathless laugh, her hand gripping his arm tightly. "At least it wasn't _during_ the match. Imagine the spectacle."

A Healer arrived moments later, being followed by his parents and the twins arriving from the family box, his teammates also touching down on the ground, dismounting their brooms and looking to Hermione in concern but keeping their distance, as to not get in the way.

"What can we do?" George asked, breathing heavily after his haste to reach them.

"Go to the apartment and get the baby bag," answered Hermione, giving a long, drawn-out breath as she tried to manage the pain. "And someone needs to inform everyone, especially Charlie, it'll take him longer to get here."

"A've got tha'," said Oliver, drawing his wand with his free hand, his mind filling with thoughts of his soon-to-be newborn babies. " _Expecto Patronum!_ " The cheetah burst from the tip of his wand, standing to attention and waiting patiently to be given instructions. "Hermione's waters have broken. Meet us at St. Mungo's," he instructed, sending the cheetah to deliver the message.

"We'll floo Charlie from the apartment, it'll be quicker than a Patronus," said Fred, looking at Hermione worriedly.

"We need to get you to the hospital, Mrs. Wood," said the Healer, pocketing his wand, having finished casting the diagnostic charms. "It is safe to use the floo, but it will be uncomfortable," he warned.

~000~000~000~

**St Mungo's**

It had been nine hours since Hermione had been brought into the hospital. The Weasleys, Woods, Potters, the team and Katie were all in the waiting room and thankfully, it was a large room allowing everyone to fit in.

"What's taking so long?" Fred asked, pacing irritably.

"It shouldn't be taking this long," George grumbled, pacing in the opposite direction. Everyone shared amused glances; anyone would think the twins were the father and not Oliver with the way they were acting.

"It's her first child birth. Her body needs to be ready for her to give birth to the twins," Mrs. Weasley explained. "Fleur was in labour for six hours," she reminded and all eyes turned to Fleur who was sat next to Bill whilst Charlie was holding a six-month-old Victorie, cooing down at her.

"It iz true, it waz very tiring and Cherie haz to do it twice," Fleur added.

"A was in labour fer twenty hours with Oliver, he was a stubborn one," Mrs. Wood remarked.

The twins looked horrified at the reveal and as they made the decision to leave in search of someone who might be able to give them an update on what was happening, Oliver burst into the room.

~000~000~000~

Oliver was sat partially behind Hermione on the bed supporting her and he was holding her hand as she cried and leaned against him.

"You're almost there, Mrs. Wood," said her midwife encouragingly.

"I can't," Hermione cried, shaking her head and she gripped Oliver's hand tighter. He winced but didn't complain.

"Ye can," he argued softly. "Ye defeated Voldemort an' ye made Malloy dress as a fairy princess fer a victory interview. Ye got Skeeter arrested an' ye made Bishop laugh so hard he fell aff his broom. Ye broke into Gringotts, wrote seven books an' built a whole orphanage. Ye can bring our babies into this world. Anno ye can. There's naw one stronger than ye. There's an entire room filled af people waiting tae meet them. Hell, a just want tae know their gender."

She gave a laugh-cry.

"Mrs. Wood, push!"

"Ye can do this," Oliver assured her.

Taking a breath, Hermione pushed as hard as she was physically capable of, crying out before she collapsed back into Oliver.

"I want Fred and George," she sobbed. "Get Fred and George!"

"Mrs. Wood, we can't have anyone but the father in here," the midwife intervened.

Hermione glared murderously at her through the pain.

"I don't give a flying fuck. I want Fred and George _NOW_!" Her voice rose until she was shouting.

Oliver was quick to leave the room without a second glance to the midwife; he was more afraid of his wife. His _highly terrifying_ wife. Hurrying down the corridor, he burst through the doors of the waiting room, startling those inside and they stood to attention at the sight of him.

"Well?" Was chorused in question.

"She's hasn't given birth yet, she wants Fred and George."

"She does?" The twins asked in surprise.

"Aye, she cannae do it withoot ye, she's adamant ye be in there with her."

Not waiting for their response, he spun on his heel and hurried back to the delivery room, knowing the twins were following him.

"Why does she want the twins in there?" Harry asked, sounding hurt.

"They've been with her every step of the way, from the end of the war up till now. They've done everything together and they rely on each other. She is a part of them and they a part of her," Mrs. Weasley explained.

"Mia?" Fred and George questioned, skidding to a stop in the doorway, their chests rising and falling with their fast breathing.

She looked to them, being clad in a hospital gown, her hair spilling down her back and stuck to her forehead and the back of her neck with sweat, her eyes welling with tears, her skin tinted pink and her knuckles white from the tight grip on the bedding.

"I can't do this without you," she cried, the twins quickly darting over to her, taking seats on either side of her and offering their hands, something she took without thought.

"Mrs. Wood, I..."

"Shut up," Hermione growled, interrupting the midwife. The twins would've laughed if she weren't squeezing their hands so tightly.

She sighed, "Very well, we're almost there. Two, three pushes at maximum."

Oliver moved to stand at the foot of the bed, his face paling dangerously, a sickly expression crossing his face as Hermione gave another push.

"Don't you dare faint!" Hermione snapped.

"If he does, permission to hold it over him for the rest of his life?"

"Shut up, Fred! Or get out!"

"Hey, you wanted us here," he argued.

"Get out!"

He grumbled before releasing her hand, standing to leave. She reached out, her hand tightly encircling his wrist and dragging him back.

"Sit down! Don't you dare leave me!"

He blinked slowly and George sniggered.

"You told me to..."

"I'm in labour, I'm in pain, I don't mean anything I say, you idiot!" She hissed.

He cleared his throat and took her hand once more, hiding his wince when her grip tightened when she gave another push.

"I swear, Oliver, if you faint, I'm divorcing you!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Retract your claws," winced George.

"Shut up, I'm the one pushing a human being out of my vagina, not you!" She growled, deliberately tightening her grip.

"Abuse! Abuse! She's abusing me!"

"What about the abuse that happening to my vagina!" She snapped, glaring at him. "Oliver, get over here!"

He visibly swallowed, struggling to take his eyes from her as the midwife rolled her eyes and nudged Oliver with her elbow. Giving his head a shake, he was quick to climb onto the bed behind her, allowing her to lean back against him for support and he brushed her hair out of her face and massaged at her shoulders.

"This is it, one final, big push," said the midwife.

Hermione prepared herself before a cry left her, squeezing the twins' hands so tight they swore she broke something. Exhausted, she slumped against Oliver, her eyes dropping as a cry sounded in the room. Turning her head, she saw the midwife cleaning the newborn and wrapping it in a blue blanket.

"It's a boy," the midwife smiled, Hermione releasing a sob and Oliver a laugh, happy tears blurring his vision.

"Told ye," he said against her ear.

The newborn was placed into Hermione's arms and they all looked down at the little boy, a thick head of light brown hair like his father and luckily he didn't appear to have inherited Hermione's unruly curls. His complexion was pale with a slight pink tint to it, he had Oliver's long lashes and when he opened his eyes for the first time, he Hermione's chocolate brown eyes.

"He's a handsome little fella," Fred commented, smiling down at the little bundle.

"That he is, Fred, just like his Uncles," George agreed.

"I'm the handsomest."

"Oi, we're identical, you cheeky sod!"

Hermione chuckled at them, staring down at her son lovingly as she leaned back into Oliver, feeling his lips pressed against her neck.

"Am proud af ye."

Hermione peered at him over her shoulder, seeing his overjoyed expression and the tear leaking from the corner of his eyes, something he didn't bother hiding.

"We did this," she said quietly.

"We did, our tiny miracle."

Hermione gasped. "Miracles," she corrected, her breathing changing as pain spiked through her once more.

The newborn was taken from her and passed to a Healer so all checks might be carried out, ensuring the health of the little boy.

"You have to do this one more time, Mrs. Wood."

"I don't want to," Hermione shook her head.

"The second child is usually easier to deliver," she offered.

Groaning, Hermione clutched at the twins' hands and Oliver rubbed circles on her back and massaged her shoulders.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOUR MOTHER DO THIS SEVEN TIMES?" Hermione screamed as she gave another push.

"How did our dad do this seven times?" Fred winced for his hand, but the look Hermione gave him had him wanting to back away and run and hide in Serbia. George laughed at Fred and then swiftly looked away when Hermione turned to him with the same expression.

"This hurts more than the Cruciatus Curse," Hermione panted, falling back against Oliver. "Trust me, I know what that feels like, but bloody hell, this could be a form of torture... Create a spell that allows someone to feel the pain of giving birth and all secrets will be spilt."

"One more, Mrs. Wood, just one more push and then you can rest," encouraged the midwife.

Hermione sobbed in annoyance and pain and she gave one last push before falling back against Oliver, a second cry sounding in the room. The newborn was tended to, cleaned and wrapped in a blanket.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wood, you have beautiful twin boys," the midwife spoke.

Sniffling, the newborns were placed into Hermione's arms and she stared down at them through blurry vision in adoration. They were identical with their mother's eyes and their father's hair colour and long eyelashes.

"Told ye," Oliver gloated quietly, his eyes locked lovingly on his sons over Hermione's shoulder.

"Shut up," she muttered but it held no malice.

Oliver shifted until he was sat beside Hermione's and George sat further down the bed to allow Oliver space. Oliver took one of his crying sons from Hermione, holding him for the first time before they swapped, them later being handed off to Fred and George who stared at the babies in their arms in awe.

"You did brilliant, Mia," George praised in a whisper.

"In our world, you don't have sex... Ever. But we're willing to admit it just this once for giving us such handsome twin nephews," Fred continued and Hermione and Oliver laughed at him.

Almost half an hour passed and after the placenta had been birthed and Hermione had been tended to by both the midwife and Healer, the twins were sent to collect the others, Hermione and Oliver believing they'd waited long enough. She was exhausted but she didn't wish to miss their reactions to seeing the twins for the first time, and neither did she wish to have them wait and come back the following day, not when they'd been waiting at the hospital for eleven hours.

Fred and George pushed the waiting room doors open and stepped inside with identical beaming smiles. They all jumped to their feet, looking to them expectantly.

"WELL?!" They snapped.

"She did it," George said proudly.

"Twin boys," Fred revealed with a smile.

They heard several groans and cheers and they looked to see people pulling out galleons and handing them to others. Fred and George shook their heads amusedly; usually, they would've been in on the baby pool, hell, they would have _instigated_ it. But they decided they were quite attached to their lives and pregnant Hermione was not someone to mess with. The regular hormone-free Hermione was terrifying in her own right, the pregnancy just made her more unpredictable.

"She'll kill you if she learns that you placed a bet on the gender of the twins," Fred pointed out, sniggering at the expressions of fear that crossed their faces when they realised he was right.

"She's ready for you, but remember, she's exhausted," warned George. "I don't think it was difficult in the sense that there were complications, but rather, that she's drained and she's obviously never experienced it before. She's had to go through it twice in one go, so be mindful."

Ensuring Leo was at the front of the crowd, Fred and George led the way to the delivery room, stepping into the sight of Hermione and Oliver staring adoringly at the babies in their arms. All the women had tears in their eyes and the men wide grins.

"Everyone," began Hermione with a tired but happy smile. "We would like to introduce to you, Isaac George."

"An' Kayden Fred," Oliver finished, seeing the twins' surprised expressions.

"I have brothers," said Leo, looking to the babies in their arms in wonder.

Smiling, Oliver gestured for him to approach with a tip of his head and he did so, climbing up onto the bed beside Hermione, being told to be careful not to hurt her. Carefully, she placed Isaac into his arms and folded her own around Leo, aiding him in holding the tiny baby.

"He's so tiny," Leo muttered in disbelief.

"He weighs seven and a half pounds, whilst Kayden weighs seven pounds and ten ounces," she responded. "They didn't _feel_ tiny," she grumbled, the women sniggering at her.

Isaac was soon taken from him and he held Kayden before the twins were given to his Grandmothers, followed by his Grandfathers, followed by his Aunts and Uncles and then the team.

"They're beautiful, Dear, you did a wonderful job," Mrs. Weasley sniffled, looking to Hermione proudly.

Eventually, they were all asked to leave by a member of staff and those that remained were the Woods, the twins and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Despite Hermione and the twins being in complete health, they'd been informed that they had to stay in the hospital for a week so that the twins could be monitored. At this news, Hermione's panic surfaced.

"It's okay, Dear," Mrs. Weasley soothed. "I had to stay for a week when I had Fred and George. It's just procedure. Twins are rare within the magical world. Isaac and Kayden are the sixth set of twins to be born in the last fifty years. The Healers just wish to observe them and compare cases so they might update their records and research."

"That's all?" Hermione checked, looking at the Healer.

"That is all, Mrs. Wood," she confirmed. "Isaac and Kayden are extremely healthy, oddly, more so than usual."

Everyone shared a look at that statement; of course, the twins would be the healthiest babies the Healers had ever seen. Their mother was a natural healer.

"We just want to observe them and compare their levels of core magic to other cases that we have on record. It is no secret that you are a powerful witch, but research shows that twins are powerful and have strong core magic. Isaac and Kayden are also the first set of Half-blooded twins that have been seen in the last two hundred years. We want to see how them being Half-blooded and with parentage and powerful magic such as you and your husband, will affect their magic. There is nothing to worry about. You will be given a private room, for yourself and the twins and your husband may stay, if he wishes."

"Thank ye," Oliver said and the Healer smiled before taking her leave.

"It's late and I know from experience that you're exhausted," Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "We better get going for the night but we'll be back in the morning."

Saying their goodbyes, she pressed a kiss to Leo's forehead and hugged him tightly with Oliver doing the same before they all took their leave.

"We'll go to the apartment and get some things for Oliver," said Fred before following the others out of the room.

As silence surrounded them, Hermione and Oliver stared down at the babies that had found their way back into their arms.

"Thank ye," Oliver spoke softly.

"For what?" Hermione questioned, lifting her gaze to him.

"Fer saving mae."

"You saved me first," she responded, her voice softening.

He smiled and shook his head. "Naw, from the minute a saw ye fall flat on yer face ye saved mae. Ye changed me life. If a hadn't had laid eyes on ye, me life would've gone in a completely different direction. A'd be training all day an' drinking an' having one night stands ev'ry night. But ye saved mae. Ye gave mae a reason tae live life tae the fullest; ye took me attention away from Quidditch an' put it tae good use. Ye gave mae love, a home, a fury, fishy and feathery family, followed by parents, brothers and sisters-in-law. Then ye gave mae a son, an' followed it with twin sons. An' at such a young age, tae. Yer've made mae realise tha' life truly cannae be lived unless yer've love an' family. A love ye, Hermione, with ev'rything a have in mae. Ev'ry time a see ye smile, or hear ye laugh, it shocks mae tae realise tha' am the one ye married, tha' ye were destined tae be in me life. A jus' wanna run doon the street shouting hoo much a love ye an' tha' yere me wife, jus' so tha' ev'ryone knows."

Hermione gave a sniffle, a tear leaking down her cheek.

"You saved me, too. You gave me a home, a family and a Quidditch team. You stopped my nightmares from plaguing me and now I can sleep peacefully. You made me want to live and love and never give up on life. You've fuelled my passion for cooking, literature, pranking and being a coach for a professional Quidditch team. You embraced my muggle heritage and brought it out in me further. All my life, I've had people ridicule me for something that wasn't my fault, but you practically turned your apartment into muggle utopia just so I'd be comfortable. Without you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I wouldn't have achieved everything I have done. The orphanage, my books, the team, my job, our children. It was all because of you, inspiring me to be better and to make a difference in the world. It's all because of you. I love you, Oliver Charles Wood, with everything I have in me and everything I don't," she said passionately.

His eyes shining brightly, he lowered his head, pressing a kiss to her mouth, and that was the moment Isaac chose to start crying.

"And it begins," Hermione remarked. Oliver laughed.

"A wouldn't have it any other way," he promised.

"You do know sex will be off the table for a while, right?"

"Well, the way a see it, we won't be getting much sleep anyway, so we may as well put our time tae good use. So, sex _will_ be on the table," he disagreed. She laughed at him. "We'll jus' put up Silencing Charms an' those baby monitors will handle the rest," he grinned.

~000~000~000~

There was a knock on the door and Coach Burton appeared in the doorway. He'd been kind enough to stay with Quaffle and try to and keep him calm; he'd been very protective over Hermione when they'd tried to get her into the floo.

Stepping into the room, he had a duffle bag in hand and he gave Hermione and Oliver a rare smile.

"Fred and George have picked up the owls and Quaffle and taken them to the Weasley's. They told me to tell you that Leo was staying at the Burrow and Charlie has gone back to Romania, but he was going to swap his shifts so he could spend the next few weeks here and be around the twins. They gave me some things to bring for Oliver," he spoke.

"Would you like to hold them?" Hermione asked. Coach Burton couldn't refuse and he moved to sit on the chair by the bed, Oliver placing Isaac and Kayden into his arms.

"Wow! You did well, Junior," he remarked softly in a tone no one had heard from him before. "You, too, Oliver, I suppose," he added as an afterthought. "You did good."

Hermione and Oliver shared a glance, both noting that he'd referred to Oliver by his given name. _Twice_.

"And their names?"

"Isaac George is on the left and Kayden Fred is on the right," Hermione answered, seeing his mouth tug into a smile.

"Welcome to the team, boys," he muttered softly. "I expect you to be as brilliantly talented as your mother. Oh, and your father, of course," he added and they chuckled at him. "Puddlemere's going to be your favourite and you will, of course, be on the team. Maybe Chasers?" Lifting his eyes, he looked to Hermione. "I've spoken to the bosses and you have three month's maternity leave, and you will be paid your _full_ pay rate, I made sure of it. But with September and October being the rest period, it's technically five months in total. Afterwards, you may bring the twins to work with you. I know they won't affect your judgement and it'll keep the team in line. All you have to do is not allow them to hold them and they'll do anything you tell them to." They snorted because they knew it was true. "Anyway, you'll be getting a promotion soon."

"What do you mean?" Hermione tipped her head, confused.

"I've been coaching for fourteen years, nine years of that I've been with Puddlemere. My contract's up in a year's time, after that, I won't be renewing it and I'll be retiring. You'll take over as Coach and you'll do a wonderful job, better than I ever did," he said confidently.

"What?" Oliver and Hermione chorused.

"You... You... You can't retire..." Hermione spluttered.

"It's time, Junior," he offered a small smile, his eyes crinkling. "From the moment I met you, I knew you'd be great for the team. You were highly instrumental in Puddlemere winning the league last year. The team respect you and they've changed; they're more mature, they work harder, they listen and that's all because of you. You've not only improved the winning statistics, but you've changed the players, and only someone truly special can do that. A year ago they wouldn't have given a toss that a Quidditch wife was pregnant or had given birth. They beat your brothers here!"

Hermione and Oliver shared a chuckle. He was right' they'd beaten everyone to the hospital with the exception of the twins and Woods, of course. Rather than celebrating their victory and partying, they'd stayed in the waiting room with the others. All eleven hours of it.

"You'll be the best Coach Puddlemere has ever seen, greater than I ever was. I've been training you to take over from me and I'm confident you're more than ready. I wanted to retire after this season but the bosses wouldn't let me out of my contract early, so I'm here for one more year and then me and the wife are going to do some travelling. Even though you're busy being a mother, I know you can handle the responsibility and if anyone can do it, it's you. So after this season, I will be stepping back and allowing you to take the reins. I'll be in the background and mentoring you when you need it and then after the game season, you'll officially be the Head Coach of Puddlemere."

"Does anyone else know?" Oliver asked, surprised with the news. If he was honest, he thought Coach Burton would die before he retired. Quidditch was his life, always had been. Before becoming a Coach, he'd been a Chaser on three separate professional teams before an injury took him off the pitch for good.

"No. The team will be told after the season is over and the press during the start of the next game season. But that doesn't matter, next year, for all intents and purposes, Junior will be in charge. I'm just there for appearance sake."

~000~000~000~

**St. Mungo's – Thursday 22nd July 1999**

Hermione and the twins had been at the hospital for five days, and with the aid of potions, Hermione was thankful that was healed. What usually would've taken weeks in the Muggle World, took only four days in the Wizarding World, and with the exception of a few stretch marks, she was glad her stomach had lost its swelling and was almost back to the way it had been before.

Those new marks didn't bother Hermione; she knew that she'd gotten them from bringing her children into the world and they were the product of something good and Oliver couldn't agree anymore, stating that he "couldn't wait tae get her home so he could pay attention tae her new marks" which caused her to hit him with a pillow as he laughed at her.

Puddlemere had a match against the Montrose Magpies that day, which meant Oliver was at the Puddlemere Stadium. She'd listened to the match on the wizarding wireless and she hadn't been able to stop herself from cheering upon the announcement of Thompson catching the snitch, winning the match for Puddlemere.

That had been an hour and a half ago, and taking into account the victory laps, the short interaction and congratulations with the opposing team, the victory interview and photoshoot and the showering in the locker room, she knew that Oliver wouldn't be much longer before he arrived.

She thought back on the last five days as she stared down at her sleeping sons with a smile on her face. Everything had been wonderful. They were visited every day and gifts were always brought and handed to her. The twins were currently wearing Puddlemere jerseys, having amassed a total of twenty so far from the team. They were a gift from the team and they had given the twins twenty so far. The jerseys they were currently sporting had 'Isaac, Puddlemere United Twin, 1' and 'Kayden, Puddlemere United Twin, 2', scrawled across the back.

Three days after the birth, the Woods and the Weasleys had been harassed for interviews, photos and conferences and it was putting stress on Hermione. So, she and Oliver had photos taken of them, Leo and the twins and they sent them to every newspaper and magazine company before releasing an official statement through the club's PR department, revealing the gender of the twins, their chosen names and their health status, and things had since calmed.

Looking up at the sound of footsteps, she smiled at Leo when he entered the room, moving to climb up onto the bed to sit beside her, his eyes darting to his little brothers with the same expression of awe that he always seemed to sport when he looked at them.

"Hi, Mum," he greeted. "Dad sent me ahead, said he would be here soon, he had to talk to Coach about something first."

Almost thirty minutes later, Hermione sent Leo to the cafeteria so he might choose something for a snack, and when he left, Oliver stepped into the room. Hermione beamed at him, climbing from the hospital bed and moving to greet him. When she reached him, she folded her arms around him and reached up on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his mouth.

"Are you okay?" She asked, drawing back from him and looking to him in concern when he didn't respond to her as he usually did.

"Am fine, jus' tired."

"I imagine you are," she nodded in understanding, "You played amazingly today. Were you hit by that bludger? Do you need me to heal you? Do you want me to give you a massage? Are you hungry?" Hermione asked worriedly, her mouthing tugging into a frown when he rejected her offer of a massage.

 _When was the last time he'd done that?_ She thought, eyeing him in concern as he stared down at their twin sons. He reached for Isaac, lifting him from the hospital supplied crib and holding him awkwardly.

"Which one's he again?" Oliver checked.

"Isaac," she replied slowly. "You should know that; not only do the jerseys have their names on the back, they're wearing their bracelets, inscribed with their names, remember?"

Hermione and Oliver had had silver cuff bracelets made for the twins, both being stamped with the Wood crest and with either 'Isaac George' or 'Kayden Fred' engraved on the silver. The bracelets would magically grow along with the twins, and they were fitted with protective charms that would deflect most common spells, charms and hexes. Hermione could easily tell her sons apart given that she had an eye for detail, and the bracelets would help others to identify the twins. Despite that, Oliver had yet to confuse the twins.

"A remember... A was jus' testing ye, making sure ye dinnae ferget," he said, setting Isaac into his cot once more.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did the bludger hit you in the head?" She questioned, taking his face in her hands, turning it from side to side, searching for injuries. "Just let me heal you in case."

"We're in a hospital, if a needed healing a'd ask a Healer. Am sure they could do a better job than ye."

Hermione tipped her head, her brows furrowing. _What the hell's he on about? Was he trying to be funny?_

"Am fine, honestly, jus' tired. It's been a long day," he added quickly.

She opened her mouth to press the matter further but was distracted from doing so when Leo returned from the cafeteria, a tray being carried in his hands and laden with food.

"Hey, Dad, I got your favourite sandwich," Leo grinned, pulling himself up onto the bed and setting the tray down.

"Bacon an' chicken?" He perked up.

Hermione and Leo looked to each other, sharing a confused glance.

"No," Leo said slowly, giving his head a shake. "Turkey and stuffing, I'm sure that's your favourite, I didn't get it wrong, did I?" He asked, looking disappointed.

"Turkey an' stuffing, af course, it is," Oliver replied, giving a strained smile. "A was jus' messing with ye."

Looking relieved, Leo shrugged it off before handing Oliver the wrapped sandwich, then giving Hermione hers and he ate his own. As they worked on eating their food, Hermione barely took her eyes from Oliver, concerned that he'd taken a knock to the head during the match and that he couldn't remember doing so. Memory loss was common among Quidditch players.

When Kayden woke crying, she covered herself with a blanket and reached for him, hiding him beneath the blanket as she breastfed him, she squinted her eyes, being sure she'd seen a spot of colour rising on Oliver's cheeks as he suddenly found the flood more interesting. After burping Kayden, she tended to Isaac, feeding and burping him before setting him in his crib, the newborns soon falling asleep.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom, I'll be back in a moment," said Hermione, climbing from the bed and walking into her en-suite bathroom.

The hospital had indeed been kind to her and given her a private room to stay in, but she assumed it was because of her and Oliver's celebrity status. In her room, she had a hospital bed which had been transfigured into a double so Oliver could stay with her. She had been given two baby cribs for the twins and her room also had a white couch and coffee table in, as well as a bathroom with a sink, toilet, shower and mirror.

After washing her hands, she dried them on a hand towel and stepped back into the room, pausing at seeing that not only was it empty, but it had been trashed. The tray of leftover food had been knocked off the bed and littered the floor, the coffee table had been blasted to pieces and the mattress was half hanging off the bed.

Leo, Oliver and the twins were nowhere in sight.

Feeling an uncomfortable twisting in her stomach and fear gripping her heart, she darted out of the room, ploughing into the hard chest of her husband.

"What's wrong, Sparrow?" He questioned, looking down at her in concern.

"Where are the boys?"

"They're with ye," he replied, his brow furrowing.

"No," she shook her head vigorously. "I left you with them whilst I went to the bathroom and I when I came out they were gone," she said, her voice rising in panic.

"A've been at the stadium, a've only jus' got here."

"No, you were _just_ here. You ate dinner with us!"

"Sparrow, a've only jus' got here," he assured her. "A sent Leo ahead 'coz Coach wanted tae talk tae mae aboot our next match."

Hermione's head spun, her breath catching in her throat.

His hands settled on her upper arms and he gently pushed her aside, peering into the room to see the trashed appearance.

His eyes darted to Hermione.

"A wisnae here. It wisnae mae."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page count: 9

**St. Mungos – Thursday 22nd July 1999**

She looked to him with wide, horrified eyes, drawing her wand with a shaking hand and conjuring her Patronus.

"Leo, Isaac and Kayden have been kidnapped from St. Mungo's," she said frantically, sending the lioness off to deliver the message to her family and Kingsley.

Five minutes had barely passed before fast footfalls were heard.

"We were already in the building when we received your Patronus, what happened?" Fred panted, skidding to a stop whilst George almost tripped over his own feet.

"They've been kidnapped. I was in the bathroom and I left them with Oliver... But it wasn't Oliver. Someone PolyJuiced themselves as him. How could I have been so stupid!?" She cried. "I should've known it wasn't Oliver. He couldn't tell the twins apart, he was awkward when I was breastfeeding and he didn't even know his favourite sandwich! How did I not notice? He was uncomfortable when I kissed him and he said a Healer could do a better job at healing him than I could! _And_ he turned down a massage. But he did speak with a convincing enough Scottish accent, _Oliver's_ accent, that I didn't suspect anything. I just thought he was tired from the match. I'm the worst mother in the world. I left my babies alone with someone I knew was acting strange. If I hadn't have ignored my instincts my babies would be safe!" She sobbed.

Oliver hugged her to him, his chin resting atop her head as she buried her face in his chest, her tears and snot soaking his shirt.

"It wisnae yer fault, as much as ye blame yerself, it wisnae yer fault. Ye gave birth barely a week ago. Ye may be healed but yer exhausted. Anno tha' we'll find them an' get whoever did this. A promise we'll get our little ones back."

She sobbed harder, her hands fisted into his shirt and it was barely five minutes later when Kingsley arrived in tow with a dozen Aurors. With Hermione having shut down, he reluctantly passed her over to the twins and they comforted her as he told the Aurors everything he knew.

"The staff on this ward have been interviewed," said Auror Hills, quickly pushing his way to the front of the gathered Aurors, another half a dozen following him. "Several of them state that they witnessed Oliver Wood carrying his sleeping son, and a red-headed woman carrying twin boys, who were sporting Puddlemere jerseys."

"Red hair?" Hermione questioned, springing back from the twins, her puffy, red eyes looking to the Auror. "As in Weasley red hair?"

"I believe so. We found several strands of red hair in your private room; the PolyJuice Potion was likely wearing off when your children were abducted. We also found traces of remnant magic, indicating the use of a Silencing Charm, which would account for nothing being heard and preventing attention from being drawn when there was quite clearly a struggle."

"DNA results?" Hermione pressed, reaching up to wipe away her tears, a determined, hard expression settling on her face, barely noticing the arrival of Harry and Oliver's parents.

Hills hesitated but spoke when Kingsley nodded his consent. "DNA is confirmed to be Ronald Weasley, we suspect the woman to be Ginevra Weasley."

Gasps and curses sounded, but Oliver remained silent as he watched Hermione, fury twisting her features and a coldness set in her eyes. Silently, she drew her wand and pressed the tip against her palm.

" _Diffindo,_ " she cast, slicing her left palm open.

Bunching her hand into a fist, she turned it and squeezed until three drops of blood hit the floor. Kneeling down, she hovered her wand above the blood drop, those surrounding her watching in horrified awe as they glowed.

" _Sanguinem innocentem sanguinem, filiorum meum,_ " she chanted and there was a blinding flash of light before it disappeared.

She rose to her feet and walked away from the group, feeling their confused stares on her retreating back. Giving his head a shake, Oliver called after her, chasing her down the corridor. She didn't halt to a stop until she stepped out of the building and onto the street, turning to face him, she held her injured hand out to him.

"Let's go and get our children," Hermione said.

Not bothering to question her on what she'd done or how she knew where she was going, he slipped his larger hand around hers, feeling the tugging in his stomach as she apparated away from the hospital, just as everyone had caught up to them and they had heard her last words.

"Where are they? Where did they go?" Fred asked quickly.

"She's gone to her children," Kingsley answered knowingly, sighing softly.

"How does she know where they are? What happened back there?" George asked, equally as panicked. Not only were his nephews missing, but now his sister and brother-in-law were, too. All in the span of an hour!

"If I had to estimate and given what I witnessed, blood magic. It's extremely powerful and highly illegal, I can't imagine where she learned such a thing," Kingsley shook his head.

"Research," Harry injected. "Hermione began researching our fifth year, searching for ways to defeat Voldemort. Dumbledore gave her permission to use the books in the Restricted Section, and she had access to the library in Grimmauld. Sirius wouldn't allow anyone near most of the books in there, but Dumbledore issued her a pardon so she could continue with her research. Even Snape wouldn't touch half of the books on the shelves."

"Is there any way tae find her?" Mrs. Wood pressed. "Hermione's an exceptionally powerful witch, combine tha' with her hormones an' her fear an' protectiveness over her children an' it's a combination naw one wants tae see."

"We are tracing Mrs. Wood apparition destination as we speak," Auror Hills spoke. "It may take some time as we have to isolate her magical signature out of those that have apparated within the same time frame and within a one mile radius. We are also focusing on Mr. Wood's magical signature, but our best bet of finding them is Mrs. Wood, as she is the one to have apparated."

"Hoo long will tha' take?" Mr. Wood asked worriedly.

"Anywhere between thirty minutes and three hours."

"By that time anything could've happened!" Fred snapped.

~000~000~000~

**Forest of Dean**

"We're at the Forest of Dean," Hermione said aloud, it taking only a glance or two for her to recognise her surroundings. "We hid out here during the war, there's a cabin about ten minutes north from here."

Gripping her hand tightly, he allowed her to lead the way, being mindful to keep eyes and ears open.

"There it is," Hermione gestured to the cabin that could faintly be seen in the distance, and as they drew nearer, they could hear muffled shouting which soon became clear, allowing them to recognise at least one of the voices.

"I WANT MY MUM AND DAD!"

"I AM YOUR MUM!" Was yelled back by a woman. "YOUR FATHER LOVES ME, I _AM_ YOUR MUM!"

"NO, MY MUM'S HERMIONE WOOD. YOU'RE JUST A CRAZY LADY!"

"SHUT UP, YOU BRAT! YOUR MUM AND DAD DON'T LOVE YOU! THEY GAVE YOU TO US" Snarled a third voice, this one male.

"YOU'RE WRONG! WHEN THEY FIND ME THEY'LL KICK YOUR BUTTS... DON'T TOUCH MY BROTHERS!"

A deranged cackle echoed, silence falling for but a moment or two.

"Your mum's nothing but a slut."

Hermione's body stiffened, cold dread flooding her and her mind clouding over with fury. The voice was different from the first female's, and she recognised it.

It was Ginny.

"These little boys are so young. I doubt they will survive the bite, but I need some new pups."

Hermione's steps quickened, her stomach knotting painfully tight. The voice, it was the same from before and without the snarling, she knew who it belonged to. Fenrir Greyback.

"I'm going to kill the bastards!" Hermione snarled, her wand directed towards the door of the cabin and it blasting open, falling off its hinges without Hermione speaking a single word. Oliver had to keep his arousal in check; they were there to rescue their children.

The room was dusty and small, sitting a couch and coffee table with a kitchenette off to the side and two-seater dining table. One door led to the bathroom, the other to the box bedroom. Stepping inside, her eyes immediately were drawn to Leo, the little wizard being tied to a chair with Ron Weasley stood behind him, his hands pressed against his shoulders and a sneer on his face. And stood beside him was Mary, Oliver's number one fan.

She spied the twins lying in makeshift cribs that were simply two drawers being cushioned with a blanket. Crouched behind them was Fenrir Greyback, his piercing eyes locked on her, his mouth twitching into a smile that showed his sharp canines and he ran a sharp, yellowed nail down the side of Isaac's cheeks.

She was going to _kill_ him.

Her eyes snapped to Ginny upon her exit from the bathroom, barely covering her surprise with a cruel smirk.

"I told you you'd pay for what you did."

"And I'm telling you, you'll regret ever looking at my children, you loose cow," Hermione hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously, her hair frizzing and her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

Before Ginny had the foresight to draw her wand, Hermione was quick with hitting both Ron and Mary with a _Stupefy_ , and they'd never seen it coming and so didn't have time to defend themselves. With them out of the way, she sent a _Finite Incantatum_ to release Leo from his binds and them she lobbed a _Flipendo_ towards Greyback. With her fury helping to intensify the power behind her spellwork, Greyback's surprised expression was easy to see when he was thrown off his feet, away from her crying newborns until he collided with the nearest wall.

And when Hermione stepped forward, engaging Ginny in a duel, she spied Oliver from the corner of her eyes, doing the same to Greyback as he climbed back to his feet. During this, Leo crawled over to the twins, being sure to remain low as to not be caught in the crossfire, and he took hold of their makeshift cribs, tugging them across the floor and behind the couch, hiding out of harm's way.

"You're not going to win," Hermione warned, throwing a nasty hex at Ginny.

"I'm stronger than you think," Ginny sneered, barely dodging it with a hastily cast shield.

"So am I," she replied coldly.

Dropping her wand to the floor, surprise flashed across Ginny's face before she threw a Slicing Hex towards Hermione. Hermione only had to duck to for it whizz over her head and when she stood, she thrust her hands out away from her body and towards Ginny, the redhead crying out in surprised horror when she was forcefully shoved out of the cabin, landing on the rough, damp ground.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

Her head turning to the left, she blinked in surprise to see Leo stood with wide eyes and his mouth hung open, her wand grasped in his hand and Ron's clattered to the ground. Giving her head a mental shake, she thrust her hands out and forced Ron into the wall behind him, knocking him unconscious before she rushed over to Leo and held her against him, allowing her magic free so it might heal the roped burns on his upper arms and wrists.

"I did it!" He whispered in shock.

"You did it," she confirmed proudly.

"I did it, just like you taught me and it worked," he said louder.

"I knew you could do it. I have a lot of people that want to hurt me, that's why I've been teaching you the theory behind spells and why I have you making potions with me. They can save your life. I hoped nothing like this would ever happen, but I had to teach you everything I could so you would know how to defend yourself."

"Will I get in trouble for doing magic?" He asked, looking up at her frightened.

"No, Sweetie, you won't. You used my wand and it wasn't a case of accidental magic. They won't even think to trace your magical signature," she assured, drawing back and crouching down beside her crying, wriggling newborn, reaching out to gently touch their cheeks and they quickly calmed under her touch.

"Mummy's got you," she said softly, her eyes searching for injuries and despite not seeing any, she allowed her magic anyway. Hearing a gasp followed by a pained groan, her head snapped to look over her shoulder. "Stay with your brothers," she instructed Leo, rising to her feet and darting away from the crouch and to Oliver who had fallen to his knees, doubled over as he held his stomach.

" _Stupefy,_ " she called, her wand aimed at Greyback and the stunner hitting him in the chest until he dropped to the ground.

Dropping to the ground beside Oliver, her hands reached for his face, her magic flowing from her and to him, healing whatever damage Greyback had caused and the pain fading.

"Thanks, Sparrow, the pain's gone, am fine. Ho' are the boys?"

"They're fine, I've healed Leo's rope burns and the twins didn't appear to be harmed but I let my magic do it's thing, just in case. We got here in time"

"In time fer what?" His brow furrowed.

"Greyback's the one that bit Lupin, and he's the one that attacked Bill. He likes to bite children, giving them Lycanthropy at a young age so that he can control them and they become a part of his pack. They'll be conditioned to do anything and everything for him. Kill for him and die for him. Children are far more vulnerable and weaker than adults and he finds a sick satisfaction in biting children and causing them pain. He was going to turn Leo and the twins," she explained, her expression angry and cold.

"Maybe I will turn you as well. My pack needs another bitch."

She turned her head, seeing Greyback climbing to his feet unharmed. Admittedly, she'd forgotten that werewolves were much stronger and less susceptible to most magical spells, especially with their immune systems and enhanced senses and healing.

"As if I' let you anywhere near me," she spat, rising to her feet slowly.

He grinned at her cruelly. "I _will_ be your Alpha and you _will_ obey me. But first, I need to get rid of this pest," he responded, his cold gaze darting to Oliver.

Hermione let her wand slip from her fingers as Greyback lifted his own towards Oliver, but he wasn't expecting her next move and neither was Oliver.

Changing into her Animagus form, he was visibly startled by the development, allowing enough time to pass for Hermione to pounce. The lioness collided with his large form, forcing him to the ground and his wand falling from his grasp. Her head over his, she growled in his face, her hot breath fanning across his face as he tried to throw her off but he couldn't find a grip on her, and she sunk her claws into his chest, the werewolf releasing a howl of pain.

Deciding to put him out of misery and knowing he needed to calm his wife, Oliver lifted his wand, a _Stupefy_ jetting from the tip and hitting Greyback. His body ceased all movement and for good measure, he muttered an _Incarcerous_.

He'd barely lowered his wand arm when Ginny stormed into the cabin, her eyes blazing with fury and her cheeks tinted pink but the moment her eyes landed on the lioness stood over Greyback, she released a shrill cry, turned and darted from the cabin. Unfortunately, the lioness was quick to follow, pouncing and ploughing into Ginny until she tumbled to the ground, rolling onto her back.

The lioness pinned her in place with Ginny screaming and crying hysterically, wriggling beneath her large form in an attempt to break free. At the telltale cracks of apparition, the lioness lifted her head, seeing a number of people quickly approaching.

Fred, George, Bill, Harry, Charlie, Kingsley, Auror Hills and three Aurors she didn't recognise.

"That's enough, Hermione," warned Fred, ignoring the strange and confused glances he received from the others, thinking he was mental.

But eyes soon widened when the lioness released a frightening, spine-tingling growl before it stepped away from Ginny, rising onto its hind legs, Hermione standing where the lioness once did. The only people to know about her Animagus form were the twins, Oliver, Kingsley and Auror Hills, therefore the others were more than surprised with that they'd just witnessed.

"What the bloody hell?" Charlie choked, his eyes wide.

Hermione was prevented from answering when Leo barrelled out of the cabin and straight to her, ploughing into her. Oliver soon followed, the twins held in his arms and when he stopped beside her, she reached out to take Isaac from him, a sigh of relief falling from her.

"You're an Animagus?" Harry questioned in surprise, barely noticing that Ginny was stunned and bound, ready for transportation.

The twins rolled their eyes. "Is she?" They chorused sarcastically.

"You're observation skills astound me," jibed George.

"Now I see why you're The Chosen One," added Fred,

"How long?" Bill asked her, sending the twins an amused glance as Harry scowled at them.

"Since my fifth year," she responded before turning towards Kingsley. "There are three inside, all incapacitated. Ronald Weasley, Mary Hughes and Fenrir Greyback. He may need a healer; I got a bit rough with him. He was going to bite my children and me and kill Oliver. I have no idea what Ginny and Ronald had planned, or why they took my children and I don't care. They're lucky they're still breathing."

"There will be a trial," assured Kingsley. "And the use of your illegal tracking measures will be kept out of the reports, given the circumstances."

Ron, Mary and Greyback were brought out, restrained by the Aurors.

"I told you my mum and dad would kick your butts," Leo said smugly.

"We're going home," Oliver told them, reaching out to take Leo's hand.

"You're still supposed to be at the hospital," Charlie pointed out.

"No, they've studied my sons for long enough," Hermione said unhappily. "They're not a lab experiment and my children haven't even been home yet. I'm not going to the hospital where the staff allowed my children to be kidnapped. Anyone could easily tell the difference between a sleeping child and a stunned one, and they allowed an unknown woman to take my twin sons out of the hospital, even if they were with 'my husband', they hadn't been cleared to leave. They're lucky if I don't sue."

~000~000~000~

**Wood Apartment**

"Hey, boy, we missed you," Hermione greeted her boisterous pup, the large dog barking and yipping with his tail wagging in excitement at seeing them for the first time in a week. She and Oliver both crouched down, allowing the dog the opportunity to investigate the little life forms in their arms. "Welcome the new additions to the family. Isaac and Kayden."

Hermione observed carefully as Quaffle curiously sniffed at the sleeping twins' heads being he nosed at their hands, Hermione smiling at how gentle he was being with them.

Rising to full height, she and Oliver made their way towards the twins' nursery, Leo having moved bedroom back in January. He'd chosen the bedroom adjacent to the bathroom and media room, and he chose to have it decorated with midnight blue walls that depicted miniature Quidditch players acting out previous world-famous matches, as well as Puddlemere's previous wins. He loved his new bedroom and it was also a struggle to get him to sleep since he was always watching the matches on his wallpaper, never tiring of it.

As Hermione toed the door open wider and stepped inside, she halted to a stop, her eyes slowly taking in her surroundings for the first time. Whilst they'd previously bought all of the furnishings they required, they hadn't had the time or chance to paint the walls, build the furniture or place it where they wished.

But now, she was staring at a complete nursery.

The walls had been painted a soft blue with muggle and magical animals and creatures printed on the front and back walls. The ceiling had been charmed to show a sunny day or a starry night, depending on the time of day. On the left wall, sat a charmed painting of a blooming tree with different shades of green leaves, and a painting of each family member had their own leaf, Hermione seeing that Leo, Isaac and Kayden sat beneath both her and Oliver. There two bay windows were fitted with white and blue cushions and a white rocking chair was placed in the top right corner of the room. On the back wall, there was a baby changing table with all the wipes, cream, nappies and talcum powder they needed stored underneath, and further along, there were two white cribs beside each other, the head pressed against the wall with a small table sat in-between them, a baby monitor resting atop the surface. A second door led to the now conjoined bathroom, and a third led to the walk-in wardrobe.

"It's perfect," Hermione commented softly, being grateful for all that their family did for them.

"Only the best fer our children," Oliver added.

Approaching the cribs, Hermione's mouth tugged into a smile when saw 'Isaac George' carved into the head of one crib in gold lettering, and 'Kayden Fred' carved into the other. Setting the twins into their cribs, they were covered by the blue baby blankets Mrs. Weasley had knitted, each being monogrammed with their initials.

"They're home and they're safe," said Hermione, feeling Oliver tug her into his side and press a kiss to her temple as they silently watched their sleeping children.

"Everyone's here," Leo interrupted, popping his head into the room.

"Let's go an' see them," Oliver spoke, and they exited the room, closing the door behind them with Hermione being sure to have the other baby monitor in her hand.

~000~000~000~

Later that night after everyone had left, Leo was asleep and the twins had been fed and changed, Hermione and Oliver stumbled into bed.

"I'm exhausted," Hermione grumbled. "It's good to be home."

"It is," Oliver agreed, turning his head to the side to look at her. "Are ye sure tha' yer all healed?"

"Hmm, I'm perfectly healthy. Magical healing is a gift from Merlin himself."

Grinning, Oliver rolled over and shifted until he was hovering above her, his forearms holding his weight as she shifted beneath him to get more comfortable.

"Jus' hoo exhausted are ye?" He questioned as he lowered his head and pressed kisses to her, Hermione sighing and reaching up to thread her fingers through his hair.

"Never too tired for that."

"Hmm, good, a havnae made love tae me beautiful wife in three months an' it's killing mae."

His mouth latched onto hers, stealing her breath, being sure to take his time, wishing to grow lost in her, to enjoy the time he had with her uninterrupted. Before either of them knew it, clothes had been removed and their bodies worked with one another to bring the other to completion, Oliver almost collapsing on top of her and Hermione's hands running through his hair as they both came down from their highs.

Drawing back slightly, Oliver moved to kiss her once more, his mouth barely touching hers when a cry sounded through the baby monitor.

"And it begins," commented Hermione.

"A wouldn't have it any other way," he promised. "Welcome home, Mrs. Wood."

She smiled up at him, brushing his hair back from his eyes. "Welcome home, Mr. Wood."


	33. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I want to thank everyone for coming on this journey with me and I have appreciated every read, bookmark, kudos and review, (I am rubbish at replying and will be making more of an effort to do better). It always makes my day when I get the notifications in my e-mail. Once again, thank you, you are amazing!
> 
> Page count: 7

**Wood Apartment - Thursday 1st September 2005**

"LEO, GET A MOVE ON PLEASE; WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

"ONE MINUTE, MUM!" Leo called back, his voice carrying down the corridor and to Hermione who rolled her eyes as she continued cleaning up the kitchen table.

"OLIVER, IS EVERYONE DRESSED!?"

"Aye, Sparrow, ev'ryone's ready," replied her husband, stepping into view and moving to hug her from behind. He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and Hermione sighed, her eyes closing and her body slumping against him. "Relax, anno yer worried but we've never been late yet an' we won't start now."

"I know, I just... I don't like it when he leaves for school," she grumbled unhappily.

"He's yer baby, anno," he nodded, "But we still have plenty tae keep us busy," he reminded her.

Hermione chuckled and smiled widely, turning around in his arms and she pressed her mouth against his. He responded happily and she sighed against his mouth and smiled into the kiss.

"Mum, Dad? Seriously?" Leo groaned. They drew back from each other, sniggering as they turned towards him.

Hermione looked to each of her children, smiling at the sight of all of them gathered with Quaffle growling playfully at Isaac and Kayden, their newly acquired kitten, Sir Cuddles, playing with an owl feather on the floor asAli and Boo soared over their heads and out onto the balcony.

Hermione at the soon-to-be age of twenty-six and Oliver at the age of twenty-eight, now had six children.

Leo would be turning sixteen in December and he was returning to Hogwarts to start his fifth year. He'd grown remarkably and into a handsome young man. His once short, mousy blonde hair had grown slightly darker and shaggier, falling into his eyes and his deep green eyes were piercing, standing out from his summer tanned-skin.

Leo was highly popular in school and after being sorted into Gryffindor just as his parents had been, he was a brilliant athlete - being a Chaser for the Gryffindor team since his second year and he'd recently been made Captain as his father had in his fifth year. Leo was well-liked by all; the students and the staff. He was an athlete, he worked hard to maintain his academic record, he was kind to his peers, and also, he was known as being the kidnapped son of Hermione and Oliver Wood, the power couple of Wizarding Britain

One being a saviour of the world and the best Coach Wizarding Britain had seen in the past five years, and the other being the League's best-ranked Keeper and Captain, one who'd turned down numerous opportunities to play for the National Team over the years. And of course, his Uncles were the famous Fred and George Weasley, Harry Potter and the players from the Puddlemere United Team, who'd won the League Cup the last seven years in a row.

As Hermione predicted, Leo was an excellent student and received O's in every class and she was confident he'd receive the same results when he took his OWLs and NEWTs, but she and Oliver were very careful to never pressure him in any way, not in the way her parents had pressured her. Leo was a good student not only as she'd home-schooled him, giving him an advantage over the other students, but because he enjoyed learning almost as much as he loved Quidditch, and they knew he was struggling with choosing which direction he wished to take upon graduating. He'd shown interest in taking apprenticeships and gaining a Masters, in running off and potentially working abroad as Charlie had done, and in becoming a professional athlete like his father and Uncles.

The twins, Isaac and Kayden, had recently turned five-years-old, and as they aged, it became clearer they were the spitting double of their father, the only exception being they had Hermione's eyes. They were very mischievous and always causing trouble, but with Uncles like Fred and George, nothing less would be expected.

Hermione and Oliver had tried for another child but after three years, they'd been unsuccessful. Barely a month after they resigned themselves the fact they wouldn't be having any more children, they'd received word from Helen at Wood Home, explaining that there was a two-week-old baby girl whose father was unknown and mother had died in childbirth. Hermione and Oliver had been quick and eager to foster the baby girl, giving her the name of Jessie, and after several months had passed and there'd been no development with finding any blood relatives, they officially adopted her at the age of fourth months. Becoming Jessie Wood, she was doted on from a young age, the team adoring her and Oliver finally having gotten his little princess. Now, at the age of three, her wavy brown hair fell about her shoulders, and her oval-shaped face sat deep green eyes and a slightly upturned nose.

Barely two months after Jessie's third birthday, it was to Hermione's surprise that she discovered that she was pregnant. And after a visit to the Muggle World and to the same doctor's surgery she'd used previously, she discovered she was once more carrying twins. The celebration party had lasted most of the weekend, each member of the team being hungover when they returned to training the following Monday, and Hermione being pregnant, was the only one spared. Given the reason behind the festivities, she'd been kind to them that day.

Keeping up with the tradition of wishing to be surprised by the gender at birth, (despite Oliver being adamant they were having boys again) she gave birth to beautiful twin girls, Madeline and Annabelle. With the twins soon-to-be turning three-years-old in the coming November, they were growing to look most like their mother with their mahogany hair and curls –thankfully, their curls seemed tamer- their mother's button nose and high cheekbones, and they had Oliver's puppy dog eyes and long eyelashes.

Everyone doted on the Wood children and no one was more pleased than Mr. and Mrs. Wood, believing the 'curse' to have been broken as their family tree grew considerably. Each child, no matter their age, sported a silver cuff bracelet similar to their parents', whilst Leo was the only one to sport a signet ring.

Oliver's parents had offered to move out of the manor and officially transfer the deed and property over to them, so Hermione and Oliver might move in with their children and have more space, but they'd refused. Instead, they'd had their apartment renovated, adding in extra bathrooms and bedrooms, and almost every wall was covered, floor to ceiling, with photo frames, depicting the happy lives they led with their children and family. The apartment was where Hermione and Oliver had built a home together and where their children had grown and would continue to grow, it would always be home and as much as they enjoyed spending time at the manor, the apartment was their home.

Hermione thought back to that terrifying time five years ago, when Leo, Isaac and Kayden had been taken from them. She had almost lost her family, her husband and her children. All because of four revenge-seeking arseholes. A week after the abduction and rescue, Kingsley had visited Hermione, Oliver and their children to see how they were doing and so he might inform them that all four members of the involved party had been to trial (it having been rushed through given their celebrity status) and sentenced to life in Azkaban, and Hermione and Oliver were cleared, even if they hadn't officially been charged with anything.

Mary's reasoning behind her actions was already known, (she was dragon-shit crazy) so that needed no discussion. Ron and Ginny's was understandable, well it _wasn't,_ but it didn't take a genius to work out why they'd done what they did. They were furious that Hermione had found success in her life after the war. As Blaise had said, Ginny wanted to be a high society wife, to have all the things she hadn't had growing up. She wanted the money and the rich husband she'd felt was owed to her. She hated Hermione because she the perfect husband – wealthy, famous, charismatic, famous, incredibly good looking, famous, smart, _famous_ and athletic. (Ron and Ginny were particularly stuck on that aspect). The perfect apartment, bigger than a house, the most perfect and beautiful children and the perfect job. Ron was outraged that she'd 'cheated' on him and had children with another man when she was 'supposed' to have them with him. When she was supposed to be _his._ They were furious that their family had all but disowned them and replaced them with Hermione and Oliver. They were furious that Harry had decided to stay with Hermione rather than leaving with them and they were furious that they had to marry others against their will, something they blamed Hermione for no matter of the fact she'd been affected by the same law.

Fenrir Greyback's reason was revenge. The majority of his pack had been captured or killed and after Harry's disappearance, Hermione became the new target for all Death Eaters wanting revenge and so he'd acted on it, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Which just so happened to be after the announcement of Hermione giving birth. Greyback had even admitted to sending the majority of the death threats Hermione had received.

They had no idea how the four had found each other and concocted the plan they did because the Aurors couldn't get it out of them without resorting to illegal measures, but Hermione didn't care.

Her family was safe. That's all that mattered to her.

"It's time to go, Mum," Leo grinned.

~000~000~000~

**Kings Cross Station**

The Woods weren't the only ones crowding Platform 9¾ in order to see Leo off on the Hogwarts Express. They were joined by the Weasleys and the Puddlemere team, who were fresh off their seventh consecutive win of the League Cup, which resulted in many heads turning, and screaming and yelling from fans wanting autographs.

Fred and George stood with their wives, both having married three years prior. Perched on Fred's hip was his one-year-old son, Liam, whilst George cradled his six-month-old daughter, Leah. Percy and a six months pregnant Audrey stood with a three-year-old Molly, whilst Bill and Fleur stood with a six-year-old, Victorie and a four-year-old, Lucas, Fleur being four months pregnant with their third child.

Harry and Angelina stood with a four-year-old Ashleigh and a two-year-old Nathan and Angelina was pregnant with a boy, one they'd already decided to name James Sirius. Charlie held the hand of his fiancé, (a Healer from the Dragon Reserve) having finally popped the question but a few weeks prior, and Thompson had his two-year-old daughter, Tessa, perched on his hip, Katie being seven months pregnant with a boy. Thompson had waited for the right moment to come clean to Katie and admit that he'd once punched Viktor Krum and as a result, she'd been so pleased, Tessa had been conceived. Something Hermione found hilarious, Katie was incredibly proud of and Thompson found embarrassing.

The rest of the team had wised up and had finally broken off their engagements, placing their trust in the Ministry to find them their perfect match. And it had paid off, each of them being paired with women far kinder and more respectable and now they were all happy. Pallie's wife was pregnant with their first child, as was Malloy's and Bishop's, and Kings and Wilks' each had a one-year-old son, Ryan and Justin.

Over the years, the reserves retired -since they were the oldest members of the team- and Hermione had brought in new players and they became a part of the family, too, doting on the children as the others did.

Leo was currently hugging everyone and kissing his Aunts and Grandmothers on their cheeks and when he reached Hermione, she was crying happy tears.

"Mum, seriously?" He laughed. She sniffled a laugh as she tugged him into a hug, her eldest son now being bigger than her. "Love you, Mum," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"I love you, too, and no matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby boy," Hermione smiled, taking his face in her hands as she memorised his changes features.

Almost all the boys on the platform walked away from their parents, particularly their mothers, embarrassed. But Leo never did. He loved his parents and he knew what it meant for them to adopt him and make him a Wood. He would never be ashamed of his family. The family who had given him a better life, who had protected him and loved him. He would never do anything to hurt their feelings.

After hugging his father and having a whispered conversation, Leo made to leave but Hermione intervened.

"Before you go, I have an announcement to make... And I think now's the perfect time to do it."

"Well don't keep us waiting," Fred rolled his eyes.

"I'm two months pregnant."

"What?" The large group chorused in surprise, giving her a look as though they believed themselves to have misheard her.

"I'm two months pregnant," she repeated, laughing as tears fell from her eyes.

It took exactly seven seconds for the news to sink in before cheers and applause sounded, the women bursting into tears and cries and she and Oliver were crowded and hugged tightly.

"Yer pregnant!" Oliver said in a daze, his smile wide as he reached down and swept her off her feet, spinning her in circles as everyone cheered. It was fair to say the crowd around them grew even larger at the spectacle of everyone laughing, crying and cheering happily.

"Hey, seven kids! Mum! She's caught up to you," Fred pointed out.

"Unless it's twins again, we all know she's good at having those," George joked.

"In which case, she's overtaken you. Infertile my arse," Charlie added with a grin as everyone laughed.

"Well, Oliver _did_ say he wanted the world record for the most kids, and that we were going to cure the issue with the wizarding population ourselves," she replied and they laughed at Oliver's pleased grin.

"A've always wanted me own Quidditch team," he beamed, laughter sounding around him.

"Thank you," said Leo, looking to his parents.

"What for?" They chorused in confusion.

"For giving me another person to love."

Hermione burst into tears again.

"Hormones," everyone chorused with a laugh.

"An' it begins," Oliver spoke amusedly, tugging his crying wife into his chest.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she sniffled, accepting his kiss.

Leo hugged his brothers and father and kissed his sisters' and mother's cheeks one last time before he took his leave, going in search of a compartment.

As the train was readying to pull away, Leo was waving at everyone with his head hanging out of the window and they waved and yelled back.

"Kissing mummy goodbye, Wood," a fifth year Slytherin sneered at him and he turned to look at him, unphased.

"Yes," Leo replied honestly and without shame, seeing his friends sniggering behind their hands. "I love my family and I'm not ashamed to admit that. You see all those people out there?" He questioned, gesturing out the window to the crowd of over fifty people, with different coloured hair and children, with a dog running around and a kitten being cooed over. "They're my family and they all came here to see me off, even though I'm the only one old enough to attend Hogwarts. They came here for me and they didn't have to. They came here because they love me. I have an entire Quidditch team and their wives and children, plus my Aunts and Uncles and their children, my parents, brothers and sisters _and_ my Grandparents here for me. Where are your family?" Leo probed, seeing the boy's sneer drop from his face. "My parents saved my life and I will never disrespect them or my family just to save myself some embarrassment. Why would I do that when I have the best family in the world? They could never embarrass me and I'm not afraid to kiss my mum on the cheek or hug my dad in public."

Giving him a final glance, he turned away, poking his head out the window once more and when the train finally pulled away from the station, Hogwarts bound, he could hear their voices carrying in the wind.

"What's the matter?" Brandon, one of his friends asked. "Gryffindor got your tongue?" He laughed, the Slytherin skulking away from their compartment silently.

"So, Leo, what was all that about?" His friend Ashton asked, tipping his head towards the window.

"Mum's pregnant," Leo grinned.

His friends laughed at him. "Christmas is going to be wicked," Jeremy, his other friend commented.

"You're still coming, right?" Leo checked, despite it being early September and Christmas being three months away.

"Of course," they scoffed as one.

"Wood family Christmas is _the_ best thing ever, especially when your mum's pregnant," Ashton grinned and they laughed at the truth in his statement.

"It'll be at Wood Manor again, the team's coming with their wives and children this year," Leo told them.

"I can't believe you have your own manor. Makes you want to be a Wood, doesn't it?" Brandon asked the other two and they nodded without hesitation.

"You're honorary Woods, mum said so herself when you stayed with us last summer," Leo grinned.

"Your mum's cooking's the best" Ashton sighed.

"Don't let my Gran hear you say that," Leo warned with a laugh. "But it is, isn't it? Aunts Katie and Angelina are rubbish. Dad's is lethal, Tillie's is worse and Uncles Fred and George always set something on fire."

"I know, how'd they set the library on fire? They were only chopping carrots in the kitchen," said Jeremy and they laughed.

"I don't know, mum was furious, the fact that it was the library made everything ten times worse," he sniggered.

"We know, seeing her hex them was the best thing I've ever seen," Ashton commented.

"You should've been there when they taught Isaac and Kayden how to sneak prank sweets into her secret stash in the media room... I swear, she chased them around the apartment for half an hour. She closed off the floo _and_ locked the door so they couldn't escape. Dad nearly wet himself laughing."

"What about when your Uncle Charlie stole one of her biscuits?"

"I thought she was going to kill him," Brandon laughed.

"Or when your Uncle Harry accidentally turned your mum's hair Slytherin green."

"My favourite was when your mum turned into her Animagus form and chased Thompson around the stadium because he accidentally called her fat," Jeremy grinned and they laughed louder.

"Mine's definitely when she hexed Pallie for calling her a 'hormonal monster' and he fell down the stands, breaking his nose," Brandon sniggered.

"Mine's when she flew onto the pitch so she could punch dad for getting hit with a bludger," Leo laughed.

"Mine's when she brought us to practice with her and she made the team do an obstacle course," Ashton offered. "I remember some of them passing out and having to crawl up the stands and to the locker room."

"You have _the_ best family ever," Ashton sighed wistfully.

"I know," Leo agreed, his eyes locked on his Wood signet ring, smiling as his thumb swept over the stamped crest. "I know."


End file.
